Sleeping With the Boss
by paige morgan
Summary: Kagome is desperate for work, and she answers a mysterious ad on a bulletin board for a maid/cook. Too bad she didn't know her new employer was going to be ex-flame Inuyasha. Work has never been so rewarding. XD
1. Introduction: Kagome

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha! Rumiko Takahashi does, bless her! **

**Hey guys! This is my first story in a long time, so bear with me if it's boring or whatnot! Ummm, I'll be trying to update every couple of days or so, and REVIEWS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED!! XD! Okay so here's the summary!**

**Summary: Kagome, desperate for a job, answers a mysterious ad on a bulletin board for a cook/maid. Too bad she didn't know her new employer was ex-flame Inuyasha! Kagome is too strapped for money to refuse work, so she is forced back into the life of her old boyfriend. Will old feelings resurface? They'll be hard pressed not too with sexy Inuyasha tempting her constantly! M for Mature, readers!**

**So there's my lame summary. I promise it's gonna get really good! This chapter is just an introduction really, nothing too saucy happening, but it's coming I swear! Anyways, I hope you all enjoy the first chapter and I hope you review! Enjoy your reading!**

**Sleeping With the Boss**

**Chapter One: Introduction - Kagome**

**X**

Kagome sighed as she exited another office building of a prospective employer. This one did not seem very interested in her. Well, not in her resume at least, although he seemed to find her legs most extraordinary. She still couldn't believe she hadn't found a job yet. She had already been unemployed for almost two whole months now. When she'd been let go from her last job she'd immediately started looking for another one avidly. Every day she met with two or three employers at least, but in this economic slump people could just not afford anymore help. Her stomach rumbled again, reminding her that she hadn't eaten since yesterday at lunch when her mother practically kidnapped her and took her out. The whole time they had eaten her mom had been pressing Kagome to come stay with them until she was back on her feet, but Kagome just felt like that would be wrong somehow. After all, it's not like her mother had a lot of money to throw around. She lived paycheck to paycheck like most families. Kagome was struggling, though, to afford her apartment in town. She'd chosen it to be closer to her job, but that job hadn't worked out ironically.

Kagome had been replaced by a more beautiful yet less talented bimbo who managed to sleep her way to the top of the very same company Kagome had dedicated years to. Her name was Kikyo. She had taken Kagome's prized spot as editor and chief of the town's prominent newspaper, but Kikyo had no real authority skills, no eye for news, and no motivation to get work done. It made Kagome sick to think that after all the success she had brought to them and all the praise they had given her they simply gave away her position without a second thought. There was nothing she could do though. She approached the manager of her department but he was under that witch's spell as well, it seemed. He tried to tell Kagome that while Kikyo could bring a new edge to their newspaper, Kagome was dried out. She had no more to offer. Kagome knew it was all lies and cover ups yet...she was still hurt by all that had happened. After the shock of it all she had broken down and called her mother sobbing and stayed that way for days. But rent was due, as well as utilities, and the fridge was practically empty. Kagome knew sitting around her apartment wouldn't cure her depression, so that's how she ended up getting eye-groped by yet another big-shot corporate man. Ugh.

Kagome pulled her windbreaker around her more securely as she walked towards the bus stop. To save on gas and on parking permits she'd barely touched her car for the past month and a half. That's not the only thing she'd cut down on either. She stopped turning on the heat, started taking two minute showers, and started skipping breakfast. Kagome's tummy continued rumbling and she arrived at the bus stop and sat down on the bench. _This is just way too hard,_ she thought dejectedly. _Maybe living with Mom and Souta for a few weeks isn't such a bad idea._

Kagome shook her head at those thoughts. She couldn't give up now! She knew there was someone out there looking for her expertise, her prowess, her talent! There's no way a successful attractive young woman would remain unemployed for this long. Kagome knew she just had to be looking in the wrong place! But...she'd looked at all the other major newspaper companies. She had her degree in English, so she tried looking for jobs teaching. No one was biting though. It seemed to get somewhere in life these days you had to be a slut like that Kikyo wench. _Grrrrr! _Kagome thought, _Why did she have to come along and ruin everything! I swear if I ever see her on the street I'm gonna....oh!_ Kagome paused in her internal fuming to realize the bus was pulling away! She'd completely missed it while she was dreaming of killing Kikyo! Kagome checked the bus schedule she kept folded neatly in her purse. It said the next bus wouldn't arrive for another hour and a half. Kagome sighed again. She rose to her already aching feet and started walking.

She had quite a while to walk to the next bus station and no guarantee she could even catch that bus, so her spirits weren't very high. Her shoulders were slumped and her eyes downcast and she walked through the hustle and bustle of the city. All she could think about was her rapidly depleting bank account. She'd had a little money saved up which she was now living off of thanks to...well, she didn't want to even think of it anymore. Anyways, that money was going to run out very soon. Kagome's rent was due at the end of the month and she didn't have enough to pay for it, so she was a little screwed on that front. Kagome caught sight of herself in a shop window as she passed. She looked...defeated. Dead. Tired. Maybe that's why no one was hiring her. Maybe they could all see the desperation on her face, see that she was drained of all energy and motivation. As Kagome stared at her forlorn expression in misery, a bulletin board inside caught her eye.

It read 'Local Help Wanted - Odd Jobs'. Kagome's hope lit up again as she rushed inside, nearly knocking a man's steaming coffee out of his hands. "Sorry!" she called after him as she hurried to the wall. Maybe she had been setting her sights too high. Maybe she needed to get a job that was a little beneath her and _then_ build herself back up! There was plenty of work posted on this bulletin, and if it would put rent money in the bank account and food on her table, she would do anything! _Now let's see, _she mused. _Babysitting, dog sitting, dog grooming, construction - yikes! - filing, bartender....hmmm....no good, no good, no good...ah! This looks promising..._ Kagome pulled a very small obscure piece of paper from the bulletin board (while stuffing all the other entries in her purse just in case). It was on flat white paper, typed, with the headline "Looking for Cook/Maid", and all the details below. It read:

_**Looking for an experienced cook/maid to come four to five times a week. No pets, no family. Pay is 400$ a month with benefits. Please contact the number or email below for more details.**_

Kagome read and reread the paper over a few times. It didn't really say too much, but nothing about it smelled suspicious...after all, Kagome's family always highly praised her cooking skills and cleaning was easy! Of course, it was no high up editing job with a fat salary but four hundred dollars a month was not bad! Kagome folded the little piece of paper and stuck it in her pocket. Since she had some prospects Kagome decided to treat herself, just this once, to a nice steamed beef-bowl. She found a small but nice restaurant a few blocks down the road. After ordering her food she pulled out her baby. It was a sleek silver Toshiba brand laptop. Her laptop was her life, her prize and joy. She used it for practically everything and never left it at home. As she waited for her order to be ready she pulled up her email account, typed in the address, and took a deep breath. She sent up a silent prayer that the person who needed a cook/maid hadn't already found someone and would accept her for the job. She began typing.

_**Hello there! I noticed your help wanted ad on the bulletin board on 5th street. I'm in need of some work, so I would love it if you considered me for the job. I've been cooking and cleaning since I was pretty young, so I've got good experience. I can start whenever you like! Just email me back or call the number at the bottom okay? Thanks a lot!**_

Kagome hit send. After a moment she realized she never put her name, but she could always give him that later, like after he hired her. As the waiter sat down a huge helping of their finest gyu-don beef bowl, Kagome couldn't help but let out a squeal of delight. Her situation was finally looking up it seemed. If she could convince this guy to give her the job, she could finally relax a little while still searching for a real job. Kagome dug into her food, while thinking about all the moments that had lead up to this point. Kagome was a twenty two year old woman, fresh out of college. She'd studied very hard in all of her studies through life and had learned good values like hard work and dedication, so why was she suddenly getting the short end of the stick?

Maybe she should just write this little mishap in her life as just a onetime thing and let it go…but Kagome felt like for a while now she had been placed under a curse. Besides losing her beloved job to a trampy whore, Kagome barely had any friends and had absolutely NO luck with men. In fact, the last man Kagome had been with was her senior year of high school. She knew she had done it to herself though. All through college Kagome had refused to go out with friends or return the interests of any cute guys because honestly, she wanted to succeed. She was aware that success and money weren't everything in life, but there was just this flaming desire to prove herself to the world that she often forgot about her own happiness. At the same time though…who really needed guys anyways? In Kagome's experience they were just another distraction. They took up all your free time until they got sick of you and then dumped you and left you a heart broken mess. Or at least, that was Kagome's scenario. She didn't want to think about her old boyfriend though. She'd learned a long time ago how to carefully lock away those memories and bury them in a place where they would be nice and quiet. It helped that she was a major workaholic, but considering she no longer had a job it left her with a bit of free time to let her mind wander back to those days when she was actually someone's _girlfriend_. It seemed almost impossible that Kagome was actually…well in a relationship. With a boy. Whom she kissed and held hands with and spent time with. Unfathomable. Kagome was very used to coming home to her little one bedroom _alone_ and sleeping in her big queen sized bed _alone_ and eating dinner every night…well, you get the picture.

Still…Kagome was a woman and had certain urges. She wanted to be held and comforted and caressed and all those things, despite her immense shyness. Those icky feelings had led to some bad decisions though…like that one Kouga man she met at a board meeting once. He was just a creep. Kagome shuddered and shook her head. Instead of thinking about boys she knew she needed to concentrate more on figuring out how to get herself and actual job. Or maybe she should spend her free time praying to every god that she got the job as the cook/maid. Or maybe she just didn't want to think about men…at all. Kagome rose from her chair, paid the cooks for her meal and started the long trek home. By the time she made it the stars were high in the sky and she was terribly exhausted. She collapsed in her bed, dreaming of scrubbing floors and cooking pancakes in a revealing maid outfit all night.

**X**

Kagome woke the next morning with the same giddy sense of light about her. She made herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table where her laptop was already on and pulled up to her email. She hit the refresh button to see if there was any response from the mysterious messy-can't-cook-guy, and there was! She opened the message with shaky hands, her fingers crossed. It said:

_**Thanks for your reply, stranger. You are the first person to reply to that ad since I posted it two weeks ago. I'm glad I finally got someone who is interested. Any amount of experience is enough, so I think you'll do fine. I think before I officially hire you we should meet up and work all the details out, okay? How about we meet at the same coffee shop on 5th street where I posted the ad Say today at 1:00? I hope you check your e-mail as often as I do. Looking forward to meeting you.**_

_**---- I. Taisho**_

Kagome read the e-mail over again just to double check she hadn't misunderstood. Once she was certain she was hired she began screaming and running all over the apartment, jumping on her bed, rolling around the covers in delight. She had to call her mother! She grabbed the land line and dialed her home number. "Higurashi residence," said the soft alto of her mother's voice. "Mom? It's Kagome...you'll never believe it but....I got a job!" There were many familiar sounding squeals on the other end of the line as her mother celebrated for her daughter.

"Oh, Kagome! I knew you'd get one sooner or later! What is it? Journalist? Editor?"

Kagome laughed dryly to herself a little. "Actually mom...it's kind of an odd job. Just until I get back on my feet, you know?"

"Oh! Well, that's okay. At least you found something."

"Yeah. It's a job as a cook and a maid. It pays pretty good, four hundred dollars a month!"

"Oh, my. That is quite a lot for that kind of work. So, who is your employer?"

"Well, I'm not sure. I found the ad on a help wanted bulletin board. I've been e-mailing them. I keep forgetting to give them my name, but on their last e-mail they signed it 'I. Taisho'."

"Well congratulations honey! I hope everything works out alright...you know some real weirdoes can post ads like that to lure young pretty women like yourself-"

"Mom, don't worry, everything will be fine! Anyways, I need to get ready; I'm meeting them at 1:00. I'll call and let you know if they actually turned out to be a serial killer!" Kagome laughed as her and her mother said their goodbyes and hung up. Her mother was constantly worrying about her, though Kagome didn't really mind.

Kagome started the shower, letting the whole bathroom steam up before she treated herself to a long twenty minutes of hot water and wonderful smelling shampoos and soaps. Maybe once she got a real job she could enjoy these kinds of showers every day. She stepped out of the shower and toweled off, looking at her happy expression in the mirror. She just knew that she was going to have a great day. She hoped her employer was a nice, happy person, and maybe even cute! _Now now Kagome…thinking like that makes you just as bad as Kikyo! Your employers are off limits! Besides…there's no guarantee he's going to be cute. He could be some crusty old man who's got a really bad back and can't clean for himself anymore…ew._ Kagome shook those somewhat disturbing thoughts from her head.

As she was cleaning out her ears her house phone began to ring shrilly. "Hello?" Kagome said cheerfully, wanting to spread her happiness with everyone. "Hey Kagome!" came the voice of her very best friend Sango. "You're sounding awfully chipper today…what's up with that?"

Kagome giggled. "Well, since you asked so nicely I guess I'll tell you…I got a job!" The raven haired girl listened to her friend's screams of joy. "It's only temporary, mind you, and it's kind of dirty work but at least it's something right?" There was a pause on the other end.

"What do you mean by dirty work?" Sango asked. "You mean like stripping or personal house calls and such…?" Kagome began to crack up at Sango's wary questions.

"You can't be serious Sango? You've known me since middle school and you think I'd do something like that? Ugh." Sango giggled and said, "Hey! Don't knock it. I'd totally do it! Those girls make some pretty serious dough you know! Besides, a little nookie might do you some good, 'Gome." Kagome's face was horrified.

"Sango! Ugh, that's a terrible thing to say! I don't need any…nookie. Although I was just thinking about seducing my employer…hehe." Sango gasped. "I knew it! You are desperate for a man's touch! So what, is this guy really handsome or something?" Kagome shook her head at her reflection.

"I haven't met him yet. I have an appointment with him at 1:00 to sort out the details of my job." Sango chuckled darkly. "You mean you have a date with him to discuss what sex techniques you are gonna be using on him?" She burst out laughing, knowing that Kagome's face was probably priceless.

"Sango! Ugh, you are so crude for a girl you know that? You need to speak about more ladylike things. No guy is ever gonna go for a potty mouth like you! Shame, because you're so gorgeous!" Kagome fake sobbed for her friend's misery. "Gee, Kagome, thanks. I dunno whether that's a compliment or an insult, but either way, thanks. So, what are you going to wear? Please don't tell me another boring old business suit?" Kagome pouted, offended. "What's wrong with that? It's professional and classy. I mean, what if he isn't some hot sexy guy? What if it's some old geezer? I don't want to show up looking tasteless. I'm not _you_ Sango, haha!"

The girls bantered on like that for some time until Kagome glanced at the clock. "Shit Sango! Gotta go finish getting ready or I'll be late! I'll call you afterwards to let you know if he's prince charming or not! Bye!" Sango said goodbye and Kagome rushed to finish getting ready. She realised that she had now promised two people she would let them know about her employer…weird. Kagome, taking a little of Sango's advice, decided a business suit probably wasn't best for a cook/maid position. So she put on dark navy linen shorts and a yellow tank top and swept her hair into a loose bun. She looked young and hip but not slutty, so that satisfied her. _Well…here goes,_ she thought. Kagome locked up her apartment and took the elevator down to the parking garage. For the first time in a while she was going to take out her precious baby, a sleek, black, and powerful car she had treated herself to after her very first Christmas bonus at the newspaper job. Thinking about that job tended to depress her though, so she pushed it out of her head. It took Kagome no time to reach the free parking lot next to the little coffee shop, even though it had taken her ages to walk home the night before.

Kagome took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves. When had she ever been so nervous? It must have been because she had built up all that excitement with Sango on the phone…no need to get all flustered. Still, Kagome checked her light make up in the car mirror before getting out and gentlly shutting the door. As she approached the coffee shop doors she checked her watch. It was 12:55. Her employer would surely be here by now. But how would she know it was him? At that time, Kagome bumped roughly into someone's shoulder. She'd been so busy staring at her watch she'd barely noticed them standing there.

"Oh I'm so sorry!" she said, turning to face them. She stopped dead in her tracks. Her heart probably stopped beating, or so she felt. "I-Inuyasha? Is that you?" she heard herself say, although her first reaction was to run very quickly to her car and drive home to her warm bed where she could hide herself away. The aforementioned person, a tall and lean man with striking golden eyes and white hair, turned to face her, his eyes full of the same shock and revulsion as in Kagome's. "Kagome Higurashi?" The pair stared at each other for several more minutes, not sure whether to be pleased or mortified by their meeting. "Hey…um. Long time no see. What brings you here?" Inuyasha asked awkwardly. Kagome took a minute to answer. "I…I'm actually here on a job interview to tell the truth," she said a little sheepishly. Inuyasha looked oddly surprised by this news. "What?" she asked, thinking a job interview wasn't really cause for that much astonishment.

"That's funny…because I'm here to interview someone."

Kagome giggled uncomfortably. "That's a coincidence," she said. Then, as though she was struck by lightening, a giant puzzle piece fell into place. He was there to interview someone? She was there for an interview? At an obscure coffee shop in the middle of the city? Coincidence or….Kagome gasped. "B-b-but…you can't be…the ad for the cook-maid position…wasn't you was it?" Inuyasha scratched the back of his head, a sheepish grin surfacing on his face. He was beginning to feel more relaxed. He thought perhaps Kagome was there to seek some sort of long-nurtured revenge against him from five years ago when they were actually an item. Turns out she was the girl from the e-mail.

"No, that can't be right…the e-mail I got was signed 'I. Taisho'! Your last name is Takahashi, right?" Kagome was grasping now for some kind of excuse for him to NOT be her next potential employer. Inuyasha scowled this time. "My mom got remarried, so our last name changed. Anyways…we should probably go inside…or do you plan to do this in front of the door?" He grinned at her. Kagome wordlessly followed him inside, her mouth hanging open in shock. _No…no, no, no! This can't be right…? Inuyasha has been gone for five years…why would he show up now posting random ads for a maid! It makes no sense! Oh, Kagome...how are you going to get out of this one?_

They sat down at a two-person table in the back of the coffee shop. Kagome couldn't stop staring at Inuyasha. She was just so amazed that he was really sitting there in front of her after all this time. He looked so different too. So…cleaned up. His hair was trimmed somewhat short, barely brushing his chin. It was swooshy and texturised like some abercrombie model's hair or something…? He wasn't wearing ripped jeans or chains on his jacket…he actually look normal! He still had two small white ears poking out from his messy just-got-out-of-bed hairstyle. Those were all too familiar. Kagome stared openly at him, making him feel uncomfortable. "Uhh…Kagome? Is there something on my face?" Kagome jolted out of her stupor. "No, no! It's just that…well, damn Inuyasha. It's so…random that _you_ ended up being the guy from the e-mail…I mean…when did you even get back to town?"

Inuyasha leaned back in his chair. "Just at the beginning of the semester. I enrolled in college finally, Kagome!" Inuyasha smiled, remembering how hard Kagome had pushed him to continue his education past high school. Kagome was surprised. If there was anything that Inuyasha had hated more it was school and authority figures like teachers and coaches and such. "_You_ are attending college? Wow. What finally convinced you to do that?" Kagome's voice was a little acidic. The initial shock of Inuyasha was wearing off and bitterness was seeping in. All the unpleasant memories and feelings she harbored towards Inuyasha were surfacing. It hurt to know that _she_ hadn't been enough to get him to go to college and stay in the city with her, but now, five years later, he suddenly shows back up and enrolls? Just perfect. Inuyasha smiled a little warily, sensing her tone. "Well…it's a long story. I won't bore you," he said, laughing dryly.

Kagome smiled a very tight smile, one he knew well. He gulped. "No, no, Inuyasha. It won't bore me at all. I would love to know who or what drove you to finally take my advice after all these years. Enlighten me."

Inuyasha looked at Kagome's sour face. He knew he was in trouble. Out of all the people in his life that he'd fucked over, this girl got the worst of it. Her normally soft brown eyes were hard as steel now. "Heh…listen Kagome, I can see you are still a little upset with me but what happened back then…well, that was a long time ago and I'm different now…so…don't hurt me…" Inuyasha trailed off as Kagome's face turned red. "No, YOU listen, Inuyasha! How dare you show up here after all this time and post ads for jobs and lure me here and…and…UGH!" Kagome's hands were balled up into shaking fists.

"Hey, I didn't know you would reply to that ad! I mean, you're the one with the degree, I never thought you'd want to be someone's maid! Jesus," Inuyasha's natural temper was rising now. Kagome blanched. If only he knew how ashamed and angry and embarassed that she was having to do this job in the first place, how humiliated she was for losing her job to that dumb slut Kikyo, how desperate she was for work! "Inuyasha, you jerk! You…you…!" But Kagome couldn't think of anything to say, she was so angry. She stood up, her chair sliding noisily across the floor, drawing some attention.

"I don't care HOW bad I need a job, I would never ever work for a horrible mean person like YOU!" she screamed, stomping out to her car and slamming the door behind her. She sat behind the wheel a few moments, shaking with rage, her eyes brimming with angry tears. _That jerk…I thought he had left my life for good…why is he here now?_ Kagome drove home, a frown on her face the whole way. The joy she had felt for finding a job, the giddyness she'd gotten from speaking to her mother and Sango…they were swallowed up by a very old and nostalgic sadness. The memories of Inuyasha she had locked away from so long ago were flashing in front of her eyes as she entered her apartment and laid down on her big plush white couch.

"I hate him," she said aloud, her voice small and immature like a high schooler again. Unwillingly, the memories resurfaced. Kagome, knowing it would happen anyways, allowed them to play through her mind, each one stabbing her heart with a mixture of sadness and anger and betrayal. The story of Inuyasha and Kagome had not been a pleasant one. It went a little something like this:

They had met in high school, their sophomore year. For two years they'd been good friends, well sort of. Kagome had a strange attraction to the boy. She wanted to protect him, make him happy. He'd been a loner all his life, somewhat of a miscreant. Kagome had the strong urge to heal his wounds. It was an odd pair. She had been student body president, captain of the volleyball team, and a straight A student while he had been… a nobody. He got into fights, destroyed property, hardly ever showed up for school. Mostly everyone knew he had a bad home life. Kagome came to find out that his mother and him were very poor and Inuyasha got into the habit of stealing money to get them by most of the time. There were rumors too that Inuyasha's mother did some dirty business out of her home in an attempt to get the bills paid. Inuyasha's dad had taken off when he was just a baby, leaving him and his mother all alone.

After two years of Kagome tagging along with Inuyasha and trying to keep him out of trouble and convince him to come to class, they ended up falling for eachother. Their relationship was complicated, though. They never really officially became boyfriend and girlfriend. They just began to have more of a physical relationship. They held hands, kissed, among other things. Inuyasha never felt he was worthy to have Kagome as a girlfriend and it tore him up inside most of the time. But Kagome had never been happier. She felt as though a missing piece in her life had finally been filled by Inuyasha's love or admiration or whatever it was he felt for her. All of their senior year went on like this, and Kagome's good naturedness DID rub off on him a little bit. He saw the school counselor for his anger issues and she got him a spot on the football team, of all places. He was able to vent his anger and bond with other boys his age. He was actually pretty good at the sport. The counselor waived all his fees and costs for being on the team, so that front was taken care of. Inuyasha had really begun to improve.

On the last game of the season, a scout approached Inuyasha and offered him big money to play at the local University. Inuyasha and Kagome had both been really surprised and happy, and when his mother had found out she was overjoyed as well. But close to graduation, Inuyasha's mother got into a little trouble with some gentlemen she had borrowed money from. Against Kagome's begging and pleading, Inuyasha left, without a word to anyone, with his mother. They fled to a remote part of the country, staying with some old friends where they could slowly get back on their feet. Inuyasha had given up his education, his future, his girlfriend, so he could go to work to help out his mother. And although Kagome thought this was very noble, she was young and very in love. It had hurt her deeply to see Inuyasha leave her, especially without even a letter or a phonecall. She simply never saw him again one day. She used to ride her bike by his old house everday for a whole summer. Eventually, though, Kagome started college and threw herself into studying until she got her degree and got her job.

Ironic that after all her hardwork, it was Inuyasha who held the key to her ability to make money now. Kagome had _thought_ she had forgotten Inuyasha and had finally convinced herself that it was his loss and that she was better off because of it. But after seeing him at the coffee shop…she couldn't help but feel that same lonely betrayed feeling that had haunted her dreams everynight for months.

However…the Inuyasha she'd seen at the coffee shop was different. She'd never known Inuyasha to smile and joke around. He'd been a very angry person with a violent temper and bad attitude. The Inuyasha she'd seen seemed carefree. Like all the burdens of highschool were off his shoulders now. Kagome rolled over on her back and stared at the ceiling. _This is ridiculous. I'm a grown woman now. I'm not the same naïve girl from back then. Finding a job is more important then some immature grudge, isn't it?_

Kagome closed her eyes and sighed. _Still…being around Inuyasha all the time…I don't know if I could do it. URGH! This is so unfair! I am a strong, independent girl, and NO man intimidates me. _Kagome was very frustrated in herself and the behavior she had shown. She wished that she could have been cool, detatched, professional when she saw him, but she'd acted like a little girl. After all, it had been five whole years since he left. There was no reason for her to still bear a grudge for something that happened so long ago. She had become a totally different person since then. Kagome's tummy rumbled then.

_Besides…I need money in a very bad way. I doubt any of those other odd jobs pay a steady 400$ a month doing something so easy, either. Damnit, Inuyasha. Why do you have to be a slob and a hopeless mess in the kitchen? Fine. I'll do it. I'll e-mail him and apologize for my little outburts and I'll…become his maid. Ugh._

Kagome picked herself up off the couch, went over to her trusty laptop and sent a very brief and impersonal e-mail to Inuyasha's account. When she prayed to the gods for someone, anyone to send her work she'd never meant her old flame. But oh well. It would have to do, until she found something better.

**X**

"You're kidding?" Sango said over the phone. "Inuyasha Takahashi is your new boss?" Kagome put another spoonful over double chocolate chip icecream in her mouth. "Well, apparently it's now Inuyasha Taisho, but yes." There was a long pause on the other end.

"And you're okay with this?" Her friend asked skeptically.

"Of course not! But, I need a job Sango! Rent is due and I can't afford to get evicted. Besides, I'm a mature confident person. Why should I refuse perfectly good work just because I'd be working for him? I can't let him have the satisfaction of knowing he scared me off, no way!" There was another pause on the other end of the phone. "O-kay, Kagome. If you say so. I just can't help remembering how upset you were back when he left you like that. I'd never seen you so lost before. It was scary."

"I know, I know. But that was what? Like five years ago! C'mon, Sango. I need your support on this, so don't discourage me, okay?" Kagome heard her friend sigh. "Okay, but…if he does or says anything to hurt you, I will force you to give me his address so I can exterminate him. I'm serious." Kagome laughed warily at her friend. _Sango can be a little scary sometimes…_she thought. "Don't worry. I'm not that vulnerable anymore. I'll just go in, do my job, and leave. How's that sound?" Sango scoffed. "I guess the whole 'screwing your boss' thing is out the window, huh?" Kagome laughed and then groaned. "Sango, it was never going to happen anyways! But yeah, now it's REALLY not going to happen, trust me."

Sango was a little skeptical. "I dunno Kagome…it almost happened back in highschool…" Kagome turned beet red. "Sango! Can we please not talk about that, okay? It doesn't matter! I'm not going to sleep with Inuyasha. He's a cruel, mean, and heartless jerk and I hate him!" Sango laughed at her best friend. "Well, those are great feelings to have towards your boss before you ever even start work. But I can understand why you feel that way. So he just accepted you back after you totally walked out on him at the coffee place?"

Kagome thought about this. His e-mail back to her had been very short and to the point and subdued. He hadn't seemed angry, or ecstatic, just business-like. Which pissed her off. "Yeah," she admitted. "I guess he must be as desperate as I am."

"Or maybe he has a secret, deep love for you and this is all a plan to get you back into his screwed up life," Sango suggested. Kagome rolled her eyes. Sango always read into things way too much. "Anyways," she continued, "when is your first day?" Kagome felt a twist in her stomach when she thought about actually going to Inuyasha's house.

"It's tomorrow. I'm supposed to have the place cleaned by four and have dinner on the table by five thirty, which is when he will be home, I guess." Kagome swallowed a lump in her throat. "Want me to go with you?" Sango asked. As much as Kagome wanted to scream yes, she knew she had to face her fears and go alone. She needed to prove she could be around Inuyasha and not break down in tears and not scream at him or strangle him…or something like that. Another thing that worried her was being in his home…alone.

She was afraid she would be surrounded by him yet feel complete emptiness again. What if she, like, smelled his clothes or something? Or just did something stupid and nostalgic like that? Worse…what if he caught her? Ugh. She was going to have to try really hard not to do anything stupid. It was going to be difficult. After all, not only did she have a history with him, but he was still an attractive male. Kagome didn't want to make anymore mistakes with Inuyasha. If he even tried to lay one finger on her she would report him for sure. To Sango. So she could 'exterminate' him. That thought made Kagome smile a little. Knowing she had the support of Sango made her feel stronger. It made her feel like possibly she could do this and make a little money at the same time.

"Thanks Sango, but this is my job, not yours. Besides, don't you need to be at _your_ job?" She heard Sango chuckle nonchalantly. "I guess so, but my new department manager is totally in love with me, so I could get away with skipping for the day, I'm sure." Kagome blinked. A boy was in love with Sango? That was odd. Most men were extremely frightened of Sango. "Who's your new manager?" Kagome asked. "His name is Mr. Houshi. I think his first name is Miroku…anyways, he is such a glutton for punishment. He's a real ladies man, but he goes all mushy around me. He can't resist himself! He grabs my butt at least three times a day!" Kagome gasped, imagining any man getting away with such a thing with her violent best friend. "You just let him do that?" Kagome asked in amazement. "Of course not," Sango sighed as if it were obvious. "I give him a real good slap, but he just keeps coming back for more. So I keep delivering more."

Kagome shook her head in awe. What a weird relationship. "Anyways, Kagome, I'd better hit the sack. I've got a department meeting at eight A.M. sharp," her best friend said behind a muffled yawn. "Alright Sango," Kagome said, a little disappointed. "Have a good day tomorrow." Sango replied a little suggestively, "You too, dear." They hung up and Kagome was left to the empty silence of her apartment. Being alone never used to bother her. It was all because of that damn Inuyasha. Ugh. Kagome knew the next day was going to be the most awkward day of her life, but she was prepared. Once the young girl set her mind on it, she was unstoppable.

Kagome decided to go to bed early and sleep away all her worries so she could be well rested for her first day. She was going to tackle her situation with all her effort and dedication and maybe in the end she would be able to forget her old memories and finally, truly, get over Inuyasha and their broken past. She laid down in her giant fluffy bed and shut her eyes, but after a whole hour of imagining what the next day was going to be like, she couldn't sleep. She kept thinking, "why did he leave me?" and "what's wrong with me?" and "does he still have feelings for me?" and things like that. Those questions only made her mad at herself. She couldn't continue thinking irrelevant things like that. It didn't matter why he left her, the fact was that he did and nothing would ever change that. Kagome just couldn't seem to squash a very dim little hope that he had really come back to be with her. UGH. It truly disgusted her how after five years of her hard work and success he still managed to have some immeasurable hold on her heart, for some reason. His face was branded to the back of her eyelids, and for the rest of the night she tossed and turned and fell into unfitful sleeps before waking back up violently and such. _Inuyasha Takahashi...damn you._ Those were her final thoughts before she was able to drift into a more restful sleep.

**Okay, so that's the end of chapter one. I know it's kind of short, but I didn't want to go into her first day cause that would take up several more pages in word, making this chapter almost unbearably long! So, yes. And I just wanted to quit writing but wanted to post something. Hehe. So please please please review! It helps keep me motivated! I wanna know if it's good or bad or boring or whatever. I promise things are going to heat up quick, I just had to get all the intros out of the way XD. Let me know if I should delve deeper into Sango/Miroku as well!**

**I hope to have chapter two up within three days, so bear with me!**

**Now, meanie Inuyasha, say something to the readers!**

**Inuyasha: Hey! That's not fair...I'm not mean, just misunderstood!**

**Me: Sure, sure. I can make you as mean as I want, remember? Now say something to the readers. Or else.**

**Inuyasha: Okay, okay. But what should I say?**

**Me: THINK OF SOMETHING!**

**Inuyasha: (sigh) Please review guys! And tune in for chapter 2, where everyone sees how NICE I am! XD**

**THANKS GUYS!!!! ------------------paige morgan**


	2. Bewilderment

**Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed chapter one, maybe even enough to read chapter two? If you keep tuning in I promise it's going to get really good XD!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha!**

**Summary****: Kagome is desperate for work, and she answers a mysterious ad on a bulletin board for a cook/maid. Too bad she doesn't know her new employer is ex-flame Inuyasha! Will feelings -resurface? They will be hard-pressed not to with sexy Inuyasha tempting her! M for Mature!**

**Sleeping With the Boss**

**Chapter 2: Bewliderment**

**X**

Sunlight was streaming in through small openings in muslin curtains, illuminating a raven-haired beauty asleep on a pure white bed, her eye lashes casting pretty shadows across her pale cheeks. Behind Kagome's eyelids burned red, breaking her free of sleep's spell. The young attractive girl groggily sat up in her bed, glancing sleepily at the clock. It read '1:05'. _Wow…_Kagome thought, _I must have stayed up really late last night to have slept in this much. I mean, really? One o' clock? That's so unbecoming._ Kagome pushed her fluffy down comforter off her lap and stumbled her way to the small bathroom in the corner of her bedroom. Her face looked like hell, which was no surprise considering her busy night tossing and turning. There were deep blue circles under her eyes, and her skin had a pallid almost green tint to it.

After pulling her tangled hair into a high ponytail Kagome washed away the sleep from her face and brushed the bitter taste from her mouth. Before she showered she decided to have a cup of coffee and try to create breakfast out of the limited contents of her kitchen. She shuffled her way down the hall on thick soft carpet to the kitchen. The cold tiles shocked her feet. Kagome reminded herself to turn on the heat before she left so her apartment would no longer be a freezer. She began to rifle through the cabinets, surveying her pathetic excuse for groceries. After ten full minutes of staring into the refridgerator she decided on bran cereal, no milk, and strawberry jam on half of a bagel. The breakfast of champions.

Kagome started up her coffee pot, coffee being the one well stocked thing in her apartment, and started munching her makeshift meal. Despite it's lack of flavor it filled Kagome's stomach and gave her some energy to start her day with. She wondered idly if Inuyasha could give her an advance on her pay so she could get some groceries on the way back? Her tank in her car was dangerously low as well. Hmm. Kagome hated knowing bills needed to be paid and expenses taken care of when she had no money. She only had about three hundred left in her account, and her apartment was five fifteen a month, which was relatively cheap, but still. It was due in less than a week. Kagome stretched, noting that one good thing about her new job was that she didn't have to get up very early. She needed to get Inuyasha's place cleaned up by four o' clock and it was only just now one thirty.

Inuyasha's directions lead her to believe he only lived fifteen minutes away at the most, and cleaning wouldn't take her too long she assumed. Kagome smiled wryly. Inuyasha only lived fifteen minutes away…ironic. She would have wished for nothing less five years ago…but that was history. Kagome had decided she would keep this relationship as professional as possible. She had been locking away feelings for so long now, it should be easy. She was just in shock from meeting up with her old flame, that was all. Once she got used to his presence she would easily be able to bury any old feelings and any new ones if they happened to spring up. Kagome's coffee pot beeped, indicating it was done with the pot she'd brewed. She poured herself a decent-sized cup and went about tidying up her own apartment a little bit.

There wasn't really too much to do, considering she lived by herself and didn't make many messes. There was very few dishes to wash, very few clothes to fold, and only one bed to make. Of course, once in a while Kagome really scrubbed the floors and mirrors and toilets and all that, but she didn't have time to delve into that mess at present. After she finished her minimal chores, Kagome checked her e-mail, something she did twice a day every day. There was one there from Inuyasha…Kagome gulped. It read:

**Morning Kagome.**

**I left some money on the table, so I was hoping you could go grocery shopping for me? I left of list of everything I need right next to the money. I know that wasn't in the job description, so I'll pay extra if you wouldn't mind doing that for me as well, once in a while. I just can't seem to find any time to do anything these days…Anyways, I'll be home around five o' clock. If you need anything or have questions, just call my cell number, which is at the bottom of the e-mail. Also, help yourself to any food in the fridge. You're welcome to the TV, all my CDs, and anything else you might need. I'm really looking forward to having you as an employee. I'm sorry things got off on a bad foot…but I hope that won't interfere with our business arrangement. Have a good day, Kagome.**

**-Inuyasha **

Kagome frowned as she finished reading the e-mail. She didn't like how personal it sounded…almost as if he was sucking up to her somewhat. At the same time, it seemed like he made it a point to remind her that this was merely a 'business arrangement'. How nice of him. She scowled at the screen, her annoyance actually giving her more confidence to go do this. If she could hold on to that feeling alone, she was sure she could get through a hundred days of cleaning his dirty socks. It was when she started lovingly washing them that she would begin to worry. There was another email from Sango, reading:

**Hey Kagome!**

**I know you are probably feeling a little down and worried, and no doubt you stayed up all night, so I thought I'd give you a little encouragement! I promise everything's gonna be fine. You're a tough girl and a very hard worker. I know you'll do fine! If anyone can do this, YOU can! Inuyasha is a dope, we all know that, but don't let it get you down. You need the money, and he needs a maid, so it works out perfectly! Think of this kind of as revenge. I mean, he's shelling out 400$ a month to you! How's that for compensation, am I right? Anyways, have a good first day, don't get too friendly with the boss, and I'll call you around nine! If you start to freak, page me. Bye, hon!**

**-Sango (the best friend, ever!)**

By the time she was finished reading her friend's e-mail, she had a huge smile on her face. Sango really was a great friend. She had been there for Kagome since they were awkward young middle schoolers and had stuck by her through all her phases. She had been there when Kagome first met Inuyasha and when he left her. What Kagome admired about Sango was her toughness. Although it could be a little off-putting, it was a quality Kagome found important because it helped her get through life's ups and downs with more ease and grace. Whenever Kagome needed strength it took only one wise crack from her funny friend to get her through her obstacles.

With that fresh new outlook, Kagome went to the shower to get ready. She breezed through everything, not really needing to wear a lot of make up or look nice or fix her hair. She put her hair right back in a pony tail after she dried it, pinning back her bangs out of her face so she could work easier and only applied a little mascara and some chapstick. No need to go over board for anything…or anyone. She donned some dark blue jeans and a simple white t-shirt to complete her no-fuss look. The clock read 2:15 and Kagome still had to go grocery shopping so she figured she should probably head on over to Inuyasha's place. Her stomach quivered a little at the thought, but she thought of Sango's e-mail and felt some comfort.

Kagome grabbed her keys, phone, laptop, and wallet and locked up her apartment. She headed down to the parking garage, getting a lot of satisfaction knowing she got to actually use her beautiful sportscar. The interior felt so much more comfortable then riding on a hard bus seat or standing in the subway. The raven-haired girl slid her car into drive and easily navigated the streets of the city, hopping on the freeway, taking the 620 detour, finally exiting in the West Hills area where Inuyasha lived. His apartment complex was one of the nicer ones, she noted as she pulled into the gated community. He had let the gatekeeper know Kagome would be there and she easily passed by with the proper identification.

Kagome eventually found building 11, so she parked and went inside. It seemed every building had a front desk with an attendant. Kagome approached the desk where a very young and pretty girl was typing away on a desktop. "Hello?" Kagome asked.

The girl looked up and smiled brightly at Kagome. "Hi there! What can I do for you miss?"

The young lady's nametag said 'Rin' on it. "Umm…I'm here to…well, I'm Inuyasha Taisho's maid. Do I need to, uh, check in or anything?"

Rin smiled another dimpled smile. "No, that won't be necessary. Just go on up! I assume he left you a key, right?"

Kagome liked Rin's carefree personality, and grinned back at her. "Yeah, he told me where to find it, thanks." _Wow, this girl is so nice and pretty,_ Kagome thought. And truly, the young attendant was very attractive. She had big almond-shaped brown eyes with thick lashes and polished eyebrows. Her skin was flawless and she had a small button nose and pink petal lips stretched over a big white smile that was totally captivating. Her hair was smooth and shiny and pulled up into a very professional bun, yet there was a small flip in her bangs that made it look somewhat tousled in a very cute way.

"Let me know if you need anything while you're here," Rin said, giving Kagome another infectious grin.

Kagome waved and traveled up the stairs. It was only two floors, so she thought the excersize might do her some good. When she finally reached apartment number 221, she searched on top of the doorframe and as promised there was a small silver key which she used to unlock the door. Kagome took a few tentative steps inside, looking around. She was…pleasantly surprised. Inuyasha's apartment was gorgeous, to say the least. She never remembered him having the kind of money to rent a place like the one she was standing it…it was so big and so polished. The floors were a very dark wood, along with the cabinets and doors. Most of his furniture was a deep plush navy color with light blue pillows for accents, and he had a very hi-tech looking entertainment system that was also stylishly concealed so no chords or remotes showed.

As she traveled deeper into the house she noted the kitchen was very trendy with black countertops and sleek silver appliances all around. There were two bedrooms, one was very messy and one looked completely untouched. She guessed the messy one was Inuyasha's. It was very plain, with a huge bed in the center. It had a plain white down comfortor and pillows in a rod iron sleighbed frame. His nightstand and dresser were black, the drawers hanging open, clothes spilling out and dirty dishes on the surface. The bathrooms were by far the nicest things, with ambiant lighting, elaborate faucets and sinks, and a giant shower with clear glass doors. All in all, it wasn't a complete pig sty but she still had some work to do. She walked back to the kitchen and put her belongings on the counter where she noticed the money he mentioned and his grocery list.

Fortunately it wasn't a very long list, but it had taken a little longer than anticipated to arrive so she needed to get her butt into gear.

Kagome made his bed, did three loads of laundry since she didn't know what was clean or dirty, cleaned the toilets, changed all the trash, did the dishes, vacuumed, dusted, swept and mopped the kitchen, and tidied everything in general. He kept all his cleaning supplies located conviniently in a closet near the door, so she didn't have to worry about bringing her own. It was nearing 3:45 when Kagome finished folding her last load of clothes from the wash. Surprisingly…it wasn't that hard being there. There were no photos on the wall, or even any real personal belongings lying around to even identify the house as Inuyasha's. It was fairly plain.

Kagome continued to think of it as just an empty house. Whenever she recognized just whose house she was in there was a painful squeeze in her chest, and she hated feeling that weakness. Kagome put Inuyasha's clothes away and scooped up the grocery list in the kitchen. It had various items on it, things most kitchens needed, and some stranger requests like beef jerky and root beer, but otherwise it was very standard. Kagome headed out the door, her breathing coming a little easier once she was back in her car.

**X**

Kagome glanced at the clock for the one hundreth time. It read 4:55, meaning Inuyasha could be home at any minute. Her resolved calm of earlier which had been easily channeled by concentrating on work was now replaced with an almost frantic jittering. As Kagome sauteed onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms she couldn't stop pulling on her shirt and messing with her bangs and smoothing the wrinkles in her jeans. She hated feeling that kind of anticipation for the guy who broke her heart so long ago, but it couldn't be helped. She tried to think of Sango's comforting words but their meaning seemed to be lost amidst the chaos of Kagome's emotions. She looked at the clock again. 4:57 now. Kagome dropped slices of chicken down into the sizzling pan along with her sauteed vegetables and tried hard to concentrate on the meal she was preparing, but every little sound or creak was causing her to jump.

So, when she caught the sound of a key rattling in the doorknob she almost puked, right into Inuyasha's dinner. _Calm down, Kagome. You knew he was going to be here…you want him to be here, too, remember? He needs to pay you in advance…you need that money. Just think of the money. It's crisp and green and has that wonderful money scent and it puts rice in your bowl and rent money in the landlord's pocket. That's right._ She regained some semblance of serenity…sort of. She heard soft footsteps approaching and she screwed her eyes shut in nervousness. _Kagome…come on girl…you need to make sure you don't burn the chicken now!_ She forced her eyes open again.

"Something sure smells good," came the deep tenor of Inuyasha's voice from behind her. Kagome nearly leapt out of her skin.

"Heh, heh. Yes, well, um, I hope you like chicken fajitas? You didn't really say what you wanted for dinner so I just improvised based on what I was in the mood for, heh heh."

Kagome swallowed. Her nerves were totally showing through, while he seemed cool as a cucumber, the bastard. Kagome stirred the ingredients around until they were ready and plated them on a small platter. She already had tortillas and condiments like salsa and guacamole on the table set up and ready for him. She glanced at the clock. It read 5:15. Good, she had made excellent time. The whole house was clean and dinner was on the table and now she could collect her money and get the hell out, she hoped. She set the steaming meal on the table and finally looked up at him. He was busy hanging up a coat on the coathanger, giving her a good view of his side profile. Her already frazzled nerves went on razors edge when she saw him. He looked absolutely…amazing. Yet it wrenched her heart to look at him at the same time, bringing back old feelings of bitterness and betrayal.

_What're you thinking Kagome? It's not like you want him! He's a total creep! Don't let your stupid emotions talk you into throwing yourself a pity party over him._ Kagome took a few steadying breaths but…damn. He was so handsome now. He wore a black shirt, the sleeves pushed up, and hip hugging khakis. The black made his snowy white hair stand out even more, not to mention the incredibly adorable doggy ears. And that hair…back in his wild days he had kept it super long and wore it in a ponytail but now…it was cut and styled to perfection. It made Kagome wonder if perhaps he had turned gay while he was away? Now THAT would make it all easier to live with. He turned a golden gaze on her and smiled.

"Fajitas are great, thanks Kagome. House looks good too. It's great to finally come home and not have to smell dirty socks," he said with a deep chuckle. Kagome hadn't smelled dirty socks, in fact everything had smelled wonderful. Ugh. That was a bad thought.

"Okay, well, I guess I'll be leaving you to eat your dinner now! Oh yeah, um, Inuyasha? I was actually wondering if I could get paid before I leave? I am a little tight on cash right now, you know," she stammered. _What am I DOING? I sound like a friggin' idiot! God, I wish Sango was here to beat some sense into me!_

Inuyasha smiled a slow easy smile, not breaking eye contact, and Kagome felt a warm feeling in her stomach as well as an ice sickle through her heart. "Sure, but what's the rush? You must be hungry. Why don't you have dinner with me?" Kagome sucked in a quick breath. The way he had said that…the look in his eyes…it sounded like he meant something more…but she wasn't sure. He was still staring at her with the same curious look, the gold in his eyes gleaming brighter than she'd ever seen it. She had been attracted to him back in highschool but this was on a whole new level…he was clean cut and polished and smelled wonderful and was groomed and had a very easy going smile that melted her. And yet at the same time a darkness lurked in his eyes, giving him a mysterious and sexy edge she was finding hard to resist.

"Ummmm…sure, I guess that's okay. I made plenty, so," Kagome replied nervously. Inuyasha nodded and motioned for her to sit down. At the tiny little table, Kagome felt clausterphobic. Being that close to such an attractive person who already made her head whirl with emotions was a little suffocating. She scooted away discreetly as they both served themselves up some food.

"So, was my house an absolute train wreck to clean, or what?" Inuyasha said teasingly, taking a big bite of his food. Kagome wasn't really eating, finding it hard to even breathe around him. His attitude was so curious…was he flirting with her? Or was she imagining things? He was staring at her with an intense liquid golden look she had never seen before. It was truly unsettling.

"No, no, it was fine. Much better than I expected," she replied plastering a fake smile on her face.

"Really?" he said in a husky voice. "What were you expecting?" He laughed, his tone teasing yet again.

Kagome swallowed a bite of food with some difficulty. The way Inuyasha was looking at her made her feel as though he knew something she didn't. Or like he could sense her nervousness, her attraction to him, her weakness towards him, her buried emotions for him, everything. Like he was playing with her.

"Well, you're a guy so I thought it was going to be a pig sty but…but it was fine."

Inuyasha's mouth turned up into something akin to a smirk. "I'm glad to hear that," he said in the same infuriating and teasing manner.

Kagome turned red, annoyance surfacing. _Good! Hold on to that annoyance! _She thought to herself. "Yes, well, anyways. About my payment? You said you'd pay extra for me to grocery shop for you. What does that entail?" Her tone was clipped and businesslike, just like she wanted it to be. She smirked a little herself afterwards, but instead of Inuyasha flustering like she did, his smile only grew wider and more self assured.

"Well, I guess I could throw in an extra fifty bucks for that. But you might have to do some other errands too, if that's okay?" The way he said that made it sound as though he already knew she would agree. Like she had no choice.

"Hmpf. So what makes you SO incredibly busy that you can't do any of these things yourself, Mr. Taisho?" Kagome said, her voice edgy in a way that made her feel more in control of the situation, although his smile didn't falter.

"I work at my stepfather's company now. We're very busy at the moment, so it's a real help to have these little things done for me," he replied, looking up at her from under his eyelashes. Kagome bristled a little. She found it somewhat annoying that while she struggled to afford her rent he was living the high life. _Stupid,_ she thought to herself, _you know Inuyasha has endured his share of hardship._ A little guilt flowed into her veins as she remembered that, and the pity she had felt for him in highschool reared it's ugly head.

"Must be nice," she said, making sure to lace a little acid in with her tone. Inuyasha's eyes glowed brightly in the dim kitchen light.

"Yes, it is," was all he said. He ate more rapidly then, quickly finishing off two fajitas and going for a third. Kagome was still working on her first, having to force down every bite through her tightly squeezed throat. _Who is this guy? He's not like the Inuyasha I remember at all. He's too cool and confident. The Inuyasha I dated was a hot tempered fool. Guess it took someone else to finally get through to him,_ Kagome thought a little bitterly.

Kagome continued to watch him as discreetly as possible, casting glances from under her eyelashes and from beneath a curtain of hair.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha started, hesitating as though he wasn't sure he wanted to really start that particular conversation. Kagome turned towards him curiously. "What?" she said.

"Listen…I know you probably don't want to hear this but, I'm sorry."

Kagome pushed her plate away. "You're right. I don't want to hear this."

Inuyasha leaned his elbows on his knees, earnestly looking in her eyes. "Please, Kagome. Hear me out, okay? I'm really really sorry," he pleaded.

"Sorry for what, Inuyasha? You have nothing to be sorry for. You did nothing wrong. You were simply living your life according to your rules, as usual, so don't apologize," she said stiffly. Back in highschool, Inuyasha had used that phrase all the time, "living my life according to my rules". Inuyasha stared at her for a moment and then sighed, sitting back in his chair. "Kagome, are you really still mad at me?"

Kagome turned to look at him. He was leaning back in his chair a _very_ indecent smirk on his face, his bright amber eyes half-lidded and coy. Kagome huffed indignantly. As if he could try to butter her up with that incredibly sexy expression on his face and his teasing tone of voice and his bad boy attitude…

"You are a pig, Inuyasha," she said, disgusted, but her face was pink anyways.

"Oh c'mon, Kagome," he said, rising from his chair, "you know you _want_ to forgive me. You are just playing like you are mad so you can hide your attraction to me." Inuyasha yanked her chair around to face him and put a hand on each of the arms, trapping her. Kagome's jaw dropped. _W-w-what?! What is Inuyasha doing?! Inuyasha has never been this…this…seductive before! What is going ON!_

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?!" Kagome yelled, pushing at his chest. It didn't budge. He grinned at her.

"I'm trying to make it up to you," he said playfully, "with a…_kiss_."

"Inuyasha Takahashi!!!!" Kagome screamed, not caring his name had actually changed. "You can't just waltz back into town after five years of being gone without one letter, one phone call, or one visit and just expect me to MELT into your arms?! I don't want a kiss, I don't want you to make it up to me, I don't want you to apologize! I just want you to pay me!"

Inuyasha leaned back, but his grin was still in place. "Alright, alright, Kagome, calm down. I guess I'm just excited to see you, that's all. If I had a tail, it'd be wagging," he chuckled. Kagome glanced upwards at his little dog ears. Indeed, they were pointing straight up in excitement.

Kagome sighed in relief as he sat back down in his chair. "Inuyasha…you can't just _do_ stuff like that. I'm not your girlfriend anymore, which means no kissing. Besides, this is practically the first time you've seen me in five years!"

"I know!" he said, exasperated. "That's all the more reason I SHOULD kiss you, Kagome! Despite what you think, I _did_ miss you. And your kisses." He grinned at her as she stared at him as if he were an escapee from an asylum.

"Well…you can't," she said simply.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want you to," she sighed.

"But why?"

"Because Inuyasha! I don't want you to! I don't like you!" Inuyasha feigned hurt at her words.

"Geez, Kagome. While I was gone you got mean. Maybe I _shouldn't_ kiss you…"

Kagome glared at him for a good thirty seconds, and he smiled serenely back at her. "I'm leaving," she said, standing up and gathering all her belongings off the counter.

"'Kay," he said. He jumped up, half startling her into thinking he was going to jump her, but instead he went to his coat and fished out his wallet. Suprisingly he had _cash_ on him. He dealt out four hundred and fifty dollars to her in big bills, while Kagome watched open mouthed.

"Ummm…thanks," she said awkwardly.

"Can I walk you to your car?" he asked hopefully.

"No," she said bluntly, as she turned and left. She slammed the door behind her.

**X**

Kagome was sitting on her big fluffy bed at home, checking her e-mail when the landline rung. "Hello?" she said, almost warily in case it was Inuyasha. She was still in complete bewilderment at his actions earlier, and a little afraid he was going to, like, follow her home or something. Fortunately the comforting voice of Sango greeted her ears.

"Kagome-chan!" she squealed. "How was your first day at work!"

Kagome paused. How could she describe that day? It was…it was…bizarre. "Well…it was not what I expected," she concluded.

"How so?" Sango asked, her voice a little threatening.

"Well…it wasn't bad. I was a little nervous but…well, I didn't really get sad. I mean, he's totally different from the old Inuyasha, so it's almost like I don't even know him. I just have memories of him. And then…well all of my nerves and sadness and anger was all pushed aside to make room for being TOTALLY FREAKED OUT."

"What?!" Sango exclaimed. "Why, what happened? Is he gay? Is he really a woman?"

Kagome laughed and said, "No, not that. But…well he was being all playful and joking and trying to make me laugh and then he started _apologizing_ but I told him I didn't want to hear it and THEN he tried to KISS ME! He said it was his way of making it up to me and that he missed me AND my kisses and after that he KEPT ON flirting with me until I left!"

"No…you're lying…" Sango said in shock. "Well, what did you do?"

"I left and shut the door in his face," Kagome said bluntly.

"Wow…way to go girl! That's the way to show him!" her friend said, a little too excitedly.

Kagome's face spread into a smile. "You know, it felt really great to leave him standing there wanting more. But honestly I just wanted to get away! He was invading my bubble BADLY."

Sango chuckled darkly on the other line. "Kagome…you're going to sleep with him, aren't you?"

The raven- haired girl gasped. "Are you kidding me? Of course not! Like I said, he's a jerk and I don't want anything to do with him. Well, except I want his money."

"Well, what if he paid you to sleep with him?" the older girl asked.

"Sango, listen, I know you're really hooked on this whole idea of sleeping with a guy for money, but that's just not me!"

"But that would be such sweet revenge," Sango said. "Not only would you be getting some good nookie, but you'd be taking his money too." Kagome rolled her eyes. Sometimes her friend really took her little fantasies too far.

"Well, if you want the money so bad why don't _you _sleep with him," Kagome suggested.

"Hah, maybe I will. Better watch out, Kagome. You might be out of a job again soon."

Kagome and Sango talked a while longer, Kagome trying to explain to her friend why sleeping with Inuyasha would be a very bad idea, but to no avail. They said their goodbyes and she laid back on her bed and stared at the ceiling. Her day had been the most confusing day ever. Just as she thought she would be able to handle her new job with just the minimal discomfort, Inuyasha came along and completely threw her for a loop.

_I've just never seen him act that way. He was such an awkward teenager. He was shy and gruff and totally NOT seductive in ANY way. He wasn't happy or teasing or joking either. This Inuyasha reminds me of…a jolly fucking Santa Claus or something. Well…a sexy one. This Inuyasha reminds me of…how I wanted him to be back when we dated. He's serene now, and carefree. Not to mention rich, apparently. It's a complete 360. And I don't know what to do with it…all I know is that he seems attracted to me, no doubt. _Kagome gasped as another thought occurred to her. _What if he keeps trying to make a move on me everytime I go over to clean and cook?!_

Kagome wasn't sure if she could resist. He had been playful at dinner, but she sensed there was a darker and more sensual side of him that he was hiding under that happy façade, one which could easily tempt her into bed. After all, it had been ages since Kagome had done ANYTHING with a guy.

_No, no, no, Kagome! This is so ridiculous. He has only been back in your life for TWO days! Give it a rest! Yes, he's sexy. Yes, he looks at you with these buttery golden eyes that make your skin tingle. Yes, he tried to KISS you today. But don't forget that he LEFT you without even saying goodbye. You were emotionally and mentally scarred at least a year after that. You gave him your whole heart, and he left you all alone! There's nothing telling you his above the same kind of behavior now, just because his personality is different. Get a grip, girl. He's not worth it._

But something inside Kagome was telling her that her life was about to get very interesting, and that Inuyasha would be at the hear t of it all.

**Hey guys! Sorry to end the chapter HERE, and to make it so INCREDIBLY SHORT (like 2,000 words shorter than my last chapter which was already short) but it's super late and I'm super tired but I really wanted to update so you guys would have something to read. I know it's still moving incredibly slow, but I promise it's going to get better. I just need to ease into the story a little more first! Thanks to all who reviewed chapter one! I really enjoyed reading them!**

**Oh! And to address one comment, about Kagome's income only being 400$, don't you worry! That will all be worked out later, kay?**

**So yeah, please review and I'll try my best to update again soon, maybe not tomorrow, but soon. Have a great Father's Day, guys!**

**Me: Inuyasha, would you like to say a few words?**

**Inuyasha: (staring at an old photo of him and Kagome intently)**

**Me: O-kayyyyy. Maybe not, then.**

**Bye!**


	3. Discoveries

**Hey guys! Thanks again for all your reviews for chapter two, I really appreciate it. I like the encouragement, and the criticism, since I am really trying hard to improve my writing, so keep it coming please!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any other related titles or logos.**

**Summary:**** Kagome, desperate for a job, answers a mysterious ad on a bulletin board for a cook/maid. Too bad she didn't know her new employer was ex-flame Inuyasha! Kagome is too strapped for money to refuse work, so she is forced back into the life of her old boyfriend. Will old feelings resurface? They'll be hard pressed not too with sexy Inuyasha tempting her constantly! M for Mature, readers!**

**Sleeping With the Boss**

**Chapter 3: A New Start - Inuyasha**

**X**

Inuyasha pushed away the weekly paper, bored with its dissatisfying articles and trivial columns. It held no interest for him now without Kagome's distinct touch present in the pages. For the past three months he'd been buying _The Bone Eater_, the city's highest rated newspaper, once a week, knowing Kagome was the final word on everything put in it. Although he'd never been a big reader, _The Bone Eater_ was a refreshing splash in the face compared to all the other crap in the printed media. The journalists were talented word-wizards; the photographers had an eye for light and posture and ground breaking pictures, and even the columnists wrote interesting and humorous surveys and polls. But about two months ago, the newspaper took a sudden downturn, for reasons unknown. It wasn't until Kagome showed up at the coffee shop in need of a job until he realized that the reason was because she either quit or got fired.

Granted, the paper was still _good_. The journalists and photographers and the like were still talented, and that would probably never change. But that saucy edge that kept readers hooked to it was gone. It was all boring now, talking about local politics and school zones and stupid stuff like that. None of it held real interest to Inuyasha. Still…he could not wrap his mind around Kagome needing work so desperately she would apply to be a maid, of all things. Kagome was smart, talented, hard working, and awfully clever. Back in high school she'd had top marks in almost every subject, a sparkly clean record, an impressive athletic prowess, not to mention she was drop dead beautiful.

And here Inuyasha was, rising new star of Tetsuo Taisho's medical suppliers company. Who would have thought it? Answer: no one. His new success was due, mostly in part, to his mother's marriage to "the dog general" as he was lovingly nick named. Taisho was a very business savvy man, who also had street smarts to back everything up. He grew up in a rough neighborhood, much like Inuyasha, but in his desire to better himself, he managed to claw his way into a desk-job at some corporation. From there, he all but destroyed the competition, making it to CEO of one of Japan's largest auto manufacturers. However, that _still_ hadn't been enough. He used his life savings to start his own company, Taisho Industries. And well, then he met Izayoi, Inuyasha's mother, and the rest is ancient history.

The end result: Inuyasha landed a job on the board of directors. The job was no handout though; Taisho had made sure of that. Inuyasha worked like a dog, no pun intended, to prove to the company that he was a worthy member of their team. Although Inuyasha wasn't that happy at first, when his mother brought a dog demon home, Tetsuo Taisho had seen something in Inuyasha other than a no-good delinquent. He gave his stepson a second chance, one that no one had offered him since Kagome.

Speaking of Kagome, Inuyasha smiled as he thought about their 'date' the night before. It had been so wonderful to see her again. She was even more stunning now than she had been back in high school. Her hair was longer, brushing the small of her back in waves. She had filled out too. In high school she had been somewhat underdeveloped, lacking in the chest and hips area, but now she filled out her clothes quite nicely. Even just wearing her jeans and T-shirt she had been absolutely mouth watering. Inuyasha had barely resisted kissing her, but she hadn't seemed quite ready for that.

Honestly, he knew she was still upset. He expected her to be. But he when he had left her so long ago, he'd had no choice. If Inuyasha and his mother hadn't have left, they'd have been killed. They weren't able to afford their rent, they were living through the winter without heat or water, and Kagome expected him to drop everything and go to school? Even if it was all paid for…Inuyasha hadn't had time for school. He needed to work to support his mother. Kagome had always said, 'That's not your responsibility, she should take care of you.' But Inuyasha couldn't just let his mother suffer while he went off to play football for some university. Anytime his mother found a way to make money it was either illegal or degrading, and Inuyasha was sick of seeing her sell her soul to the devil to make ends meet.

That's another reason why Inuyasha liked his stepdad so much. He'd made it so Izayoi would never have to work another day in her life. He treated her like a queen, like she deserved. And now, Inuyasha could treat Kagome that way as well. He smiled as he thought of her. Back when they dated, he felt so guilty being with her because he knew he was a nobody and if he ever got her pregnant or if they ever got married she would be stuck with a loser like him for the rest of her life. But now, after five years apart, he was a somebody that could proudly be with her. And he intended to. He'd thought of nothing and no one else since he left.

He never wrote to her or called her because not only was he scared and ashamed for running away, but he knew Kagome deserved better. But since he got his job at Taisho Industries, Inuyasha was practically obsessed with the idea of getting back with his old sweetheart. That's why he'd moved back to the city to finish getting his degree while he managed the West Hills branch of the company. It was hard going to school fifteen hours a week and working full-time, which meant no time to clean or shop or run errands. Fortunately he'd killed two birds with one stone: he got an 'assistant' and reunited with Kagome all in one blow. It was absolutely perfect.

Speaking of which, Inuyasha glanced at the clock. It read '2:32'. He'd told Kagome to meet him at the coffee shop on Fifth Street to discuss some more aspects of her job. He'd decided that four hundred dollars a month wasn't really enough money for Kagome to live off of, but then again he hadn't known it was her that was going to apply for the position. But now that he _did_ know he was willing to pay her more. He wanted her to earn it though, so he'd come up with a list of errands to add to her duties as maid and cook. In some ways, she'd be like his very own personal assistant. As the waiter walked by, Inuyasha ordered himself a cup of coffee and decided against ordering something for Kagome. He knew her to be a very independent and headstrong girl and that ordering for her would only anger her. Inuyasha cringed. Kagome's anger was just plain…scary. He remembered very clearly the last night they ever spoke. He'd never seen Kagome as angry in his life as he had that night.

"_Inuyasha…you can't be serious?" she said, her face flushing with emotion. He didn't say anything. He couldn't. She'd never understand him or his lifestyle, not in a hundred years, so why try to defend himself? _

"_You aren't going to take the scholarship? But…but Inuyasha you got a full athletic scholarship! Don't tell me you are going to just throw it away?" She was near screaming by that point. She'd been forced to watch Inuyasha's life deteriorate more and more over the last two years as he made more and more mistakes and enough was enough. _

"_I am not going to school, Kagome," Inuyasha said softly, staring at a spot on the ground. There was a long pause in which nothing was said. Finally, the half-demon glanced up at her face and cringed as though he'd been slapped. Her face was red and tears were silently rolling down her cheeks. Her jaw was clenched, as well as her fists, and her whole body was trembling._

"_No," she said, shaking her head, letting her bangs cover her eyes._

"_Kagome, what do you want me to do?" he roared, standing up and grabbing her arms. "I have to go to work! I have to help my mom pay the rent and the heat and electricity! I'm not LIKE you Kagome. My mom can't afford the house by herself. I am not some pampered spoiled honor roll student. You don't know shit about working or starving or sleeping under a damp roof! Once you've lived through what I have lived through, then come talk to me, but until then __**butt out**__!"_

_Inuyasha's breath came quickly, his clawed hands gripping her arms roughly enough to bruise. Why couldn't she understand? Why didn't she see? He couldn't abandon his mother for school. He knew that meant he may never get anywhere in life, but what other choice did he have?_

_Kagome continued to cry silently, her tears dripping on the front of her t-shirt. _

"_Inuyasha…you jerk," she whimpered, bringing her pale hand up to wipe away tears. She stared up into his blazing amber eyes with her own watery brown ones. "You think…you think just because you and your mom are poor that you are the only one who knows what it's like to…to struggle? Maybe if you'd stop wallowing in your own self pity for one minute you'd know that everyone suffers in their own way, and there are people out there who have it worse than you do." Kagome wiped away more tears, glaring angrily at him._

"_Oh yeah? And tell me, Kagome, in what way have YOU suffered? When have you ever gone cold or hungry? When have you ever come home to find your mom a drugged-out mess from a suicide attempt? When have you ever had to hide in the closet while drug dealers and pimps slapped your only living relative around right in front of your face, but you couldn't do anything or they'd kill you? You don't know suffering. You're nothing but a whiny spoiled brat," he spat the last word angrily at her. Kagome stared back at him in shock and rage, her tears spilling more violently as he spoke words that stung her with their truth._

"_How could you even say that Inuyasha?" she choked out, covering her face in outrage._

_Inuyasha's heart broke to see her breaking down in front of him, but his anger at himself and at the world was too great for him to stop and comfort her. "Keh," he spat. "Forget it Kagome. You'll never understand. How could you understand?" At those words he whipped around and left, slamming the door behind him noisily. _

_It wasn't until later that night he remembered that Kagome __**did**__ know suffering. She'd lost her father only two short years ago, and it had torn their family apart. How could he forget that and say something so careless?_

He'd never gotten a chance to apologize, though. That very night his mother and he had to leave town and start their new lives.

He still didn't know if she would ever forgive him for such a heartless comment. He knew had bad Kagome missed her father and he'd thrown it back in her face like her troubles didn't matter. Inuyasha regretted that most about his youth. He'd been so selfish, thinking he was the only one who had problems when plenty of people around him did. Even the girl he loved.

**X**

Kagome slipped as she exited the bus, almost spilling the contents of her purse all over the sidewalk. She grumbled as she righted herself and dusted off her shorts, setting the same quick pace as before. She was running late. She was supposed to meet Inuyasha at 2:30 to further discuss the aspects of her new job, but she slept right through her alarm clock buzzing in her ear all morning somehow. She might've been on time but she'd gotten a little carried away with her hair and makeup and trying to find a suitable outfit. It wasn't for Inuyasha, or anything. She just wanted to look…nice. No use walking around looking like a bum, after all. Right?

She turned the corner where the bright purple sign for Fifth Street Coffee Company greeted her cheerily. She rushed inside and spotted a certain white haired half demon lounging by the window, the sun illuminating a crumpled copy of _The Bone Eater_ on his table. Kagome frowned, feelings of irritation gripping her. _Of course he would have to be reading that when I walk in,_ she thought, grumbling to herself. She made her way over to his table, weaving through tables and chairs and waiter carrying steaming trays of lattes and cappuccinos to their customers. "Hey," she greeted as she sat down, slightly out of breath.

"You're late," he said, a small smile playing on his lips. _Ugh! Why does he always look so happy to see me? _She wondered to herself.

"Yeah, well, I slept in, alright?" Kagome rolled her eyes in annoyance. Since when had punctuality become one of Inuyasha's priorities?

"You look good though," he noticed, trailing his eyes over her curly, shiny black hair and perfectly glossed lips and smoky eyes. She wore a low cut navy dress and strappy gold wedges. "Going somewhere fancy today?" He prompted, confused by her semi formal attire. As far as he knew she was just running his errands and cooking dinner, although he wouldn't mind watching her cook in that.

She sighed. "Is there something wrong with trying to look good?" she asked in a clipped tone. He smiled, but before he could say anything she retorted, "And, no, I didn't dress up for you. Well, in a way. I just thought that if I am going to be running your errands and meeting people you work with I might as well make a good impression. I am representing you, after all."

Inuyasha smiled. "Well then that's great," he said, impressed. He smiled fondly at her for a few seconds, making her shift uncomfortably in her seat.

"So," she drawled out. "What's on my to-do list for today?" She laughed, her nervousness showing through again.

"I have some important documents I need delivered to our lawyers, if you don't mind, and a check to be deposited into the bank as well. Hmm, what else?" he mused. "Oh, and I need two suits taken to the dry cleaners…and…I need you to call and cancel the board meeting at four…"

"What? Am I a secretary now too?" Kagome said, miffed.

Inuyasha chuckled at her. "I guess you could call yourself a do-it-all girl," he said, his voice just barely suggestive.

Kagome's face turned pink. "That's an awful lot of stuff to do today on top of cooking and cleaning, Inuyasha. Is this where the 'increase in wages' you e-mailed me about comes in?"

"Precisely," he said. "If you are interested, I would like to make you my personal assistant. That means doing pretty much anything I ask at anytime," he resisted the urge to wiggle his eyebrows at her. "If you agree, I'll bump your salary up to this much a month." Inuyasha slid a small piece of paper towards her, finding it uncouth to say it aloud.

Kagome gasped as she read the paper. It said '1,500/ mo.' _Fifteen hundred dollars a month? To do all of Inuyasha's bidding?! Wow…that's…that's…_

"That's amazing!" she said, still in shock.

"I'm glad you think so," he chuckled. "It won't be easy work though, mind you. I will have tasks for you to do every single day. It's just that…well, my step father and step brother think I need an assistant to help me organize everything and remember everything so…I thought I would give it a try. Maybe if you are good at it I can actually get you a job through our company. Then you'd be making much more than what's on that piece of paper." Inuyasha smiled at the awed look on Kagome's face. _Guess she wasn't expecting that much of a raise, he thought._

"Inuyasha…this is great! Thank you so much for this," Kagome said happily, reaching across the table to place her hand over his. Her hand was warm and smooth as it covered his, and Inuyasha basked it in…that is until she realized what she'd done and ripped it away. She cleared her throat nervously. "Well, I guess I'd better get going if I'm going to get all this done," she said, rising from her chair.

Inuyasha pulled from his pocket a list of place and names and numbers she would need for the day's tasks and placed it in her hand gently. "Good luck, Kagome. Don't forget, dinner at five o' clock sharp. I'm thinking…well, just surprise me again," he smiled, taking another sip from his coffee cup.

"Sure thing, boss," Kagome said, as she turned and exited the café. Inuyasha watched her go, the gentle swell of her hips swaying sinfully as she walked, her leg muscles flexed from wearing her heels. Oh yeah, he was a butt man. He imagined caressing her bottom lovingly. _Oi! Quit thinking things like that. You are starting to sound like that lecher Miroku!_

Kagome sighed in relief as she stepped out into the cool air. It was so nerve wracking to be around Inuyasha. He's good looks and easy going manner attracted her in ways she shouldn't be, especially to her boss. A slow smile spread across her face as she unfolded the little piece of paper and read the total on it again. Being Inuyasha's personal assistant was _totally_ worth it. _Unless he abused that power_, Kagome thought nervously.

On the back of the note card sized paper was all the errands she needed to run as well as some names and telephone numbers. She glanced at her watch. _Well, I'd better get a move on,_ she sighed mentally and got on the bus heading towards downtown in the Cedar Bluff area, where the lawyers of Inuyasha's companies awaited.

The bus ride was long and hot. Kagome shifted uncomfortably as a bead of perspiration ran straight down her back in a hot sticky line. _Why didn't I bring my car again? Oh, right. I'm out of money,_ she thought. After finally writing a check for her rent, putting groceries in the fridge, paying for insurance and utilities, the money from her bank account _and_ the cash Inuyasha had given her were all but gone. She had enough to get around on the bus, but filling up on a tank of gas wasn't ideal. Kagome had always tried to be very conservative with her money, saving the majority of it, which had proven to be a wise choice. Sure, she had nice things and nice clothes, but her job at the newspaper had been bringing in more than enough income to treat herself from time to time.

Kagome stared out at the swiftly passing buildings from inside the bus window. If, keyword 'if', Inuyasha _did_ get her a real job at his company as an assistant she would be so grateful to him. However, she wasn't sure she wanted her job to be someone's assistant. For one, she knew she could get a better job that could pay more. Secondly, Kagome's dream job did not include morning runs to get lattes for the boss, or telling him his mother is on line two, or getting his suits dry-cleaned. She might as well be called a babysitter, for heaven's sake. But still…it was money in the bank right? And judging by the size of Inuyasha's apartment…he worked for a rather wealthy company. _That's right, _Kagome thought. _He never did mention to me where he worked._

Kagome was impressed that Inuyasha had landed such a job. Although in high school she had always been very optimistic for his future, she just never expected him to be so successful. The bus began pulling up to her intended stop. Once she got off she still had a few blocks to walk, and in wedge heels, no less. Kagome stared around at her surroundings. She was in one of the nicest areas she'd ever seen. There were shops and boutiques, cafes and bistros, and fountains and topiary everywhere! Not to mention all the people walking around were dressed very stylishly and all the cars driving around were sleek and shiny. Kagome's poor bus looked sorely out of place. Good thing she was dressed to impress!

As she strolled down the sunny street feeling the wind on her bare arms and the delicious heat on her face, Kagome imagined herself as a successful writer. She imagined a gorgeous downtown townhouse, the brick front all covered in English ivy. She imagined herself dressed in a designer brand sundress, waltzing down the street with her matching designer handbag. She imagined herself at the little bistro, sipping a frappucino and creating her next masterpiece on her laptop. However, something struck Kagome then. In all her imaginings…she was alone. Yes, she was successful and happy and living in the lap of luxury, but she was all alone. She felt a small, forgotten pain in her heart as the face of a white haired boy flashed in her mind.

_Inuyasha…will I ever be able to forget you?_ Kagome sighed, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. _You idiot, _she thought to herself, _how will you ever forget him if you are working for him?_

Kagome slowed as she neared the building she was supposed to arrive at. It was called 'Seven Brothers Law Firm.' She'd heard of them! They were apparently the best of the best when it came to several different kinds of law, each brother specializing in something different. She pulled out her little note card to confirm exactly which brother she was dealing with. His name was Bankotsu and his office was on the fourth floor. Kagome took a deep breath and entered the building. It was very spacious inside, with marble floors and counters and shiny gold elevators to the left. Kagome entered the first one and pressed the little number four. As the doors closed, so did Kagome's eyes. She'd had a terrible fear of elevators since she was a little kid. She hated the closed space, and the idea of being suspended several floors up where she could suddenly be dropped. Also, she hated that little whoopey feeling at the end where your stomach went into your throat. Ugh.

After braving the elevator she climbed back onto solid ground, thank heavens. There was large desk in the middle of the floor where a receptionist sat, directing people to where they needed to be. Kagome walked up to the desk and said, "Excuse me, I'm here to see Mr. Bankotsu, please." The girl behind the desk wasn't very friendly.

"You'll have to wait," she snapped. "Mr. Bankotsu is busy at the moment." When the girl noticed Kagome wasn't going away she sighed. "Who are you here on behalf of?" she asked in a clipped tone.

Kagome's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Inuyasha Taisho," she said.

The girl's eyes widened and her mouth fell open in a surprised 'oh'. "Excuse me miss, I-I had no idea! I will go and get him right away, please make yourself comfortable," she stammered. She hurried from her plush computer chair around the corner where she almost ate marble floor in her haste to fetch her boss. _That was weird…_Kagome thought.

The girl came back a few minutes later, looking a little flustered. Her face was red and her eyes a little downcast. Kagome thought she must have been chewed out. She smirked a little.

"Right this way miss," the girl said quietly. She led Kagome down a narrow hallway, coming to a halt outside a big polished oak door with a sign that read 'Bankotsu- Attorney at Law.' "Have a nice day," the girl said in a fake voice as she walked away, back to the safety of her little desk. Kagome pushed open the door slowly.

Kagome entered the office, shutting the door behind her.

The man sitting behind the big oak desk was…well, rather handsome. He had dark hair that he kept pulled into an unconventionally long braid. His eyes were dark, and shadowed by a fringe of bangs, making his face look boyish and sweet. He had a strange crossed shaped tattoo on his forehead, just between his eyes. Instead of being garish and distracting, Kagome found that it suited his face rather than disfigure it.

"Hello," she greeted, walking forward with her hand extended. "My name is Kagome Higurashi. I'm Inuyasha Taisho's assistant." She smiled and kept eye contact with him, a trick she had learned a long time ago for making a good impression on people.

"Why hello," he said back. His voice sounded so young. "Nice to meet you, Kagome. My name is Bankotsu. I never knew Inuyasha had such a beautiful young girl working for him," he said. His tone was light and teasing.

Kagome smiled. "Well, I just started a few days ago actually. I don't work for the company, I was hired by Inuyasha himself."

Bankotsu smiled at her, his eyes trailing over her dress. "Well, well. It's my intense pleasure to work with you," he said flirtatiously. Kagome flushed a little, her natural shyness overcoming her practiced confidence when working with clients.

"Ah, thank you," she said, a nervous giggle bubbling from her throat. "Um, I have these documents here in my bag. I was told they needed to be delivered here to your office," Kagome fished around in her laptop bag, pulling out the manila envelope with Bankotsu's name written on the front. She set them down on his desk softly.

"Thank you, my dear Kagome," he said, sliding the folder open with his finger. Kagome smiled uncomfortably. He scanned the documents over with his eyes. "Well, well, well," he almost purred, "these are quite important."

"They are?" Kagome asked curiously.

"Indeed," he answered, looking up at her from under his eyelashes. "Looks like Taisho Industries is suing their competitors for copyright infringement. What a nasty business," he sighed.

Kagome gasped. "Are you serious? Taisho Industries is suing Inuyasha's company?!"

Bankotsu stared at Kagome for a moment in confusion. "Ah, Kagome…Taisho Industries is where Inuyasha works. That's why his last name is Taisho." Bankotsu chuckled at her after that, shaking his head as if to say 'she may be cute, but so simple.'

"Inuyasha…works for _the_ Taisho Industries?" she choked out. "As in, the medical supplies manufacturers? As in the billion dollar company owned by Tetsuo Taisho?" Kagome sat down in a plush chair and put her head in her hands.

"You didn't know that?" he asked. "You mean you agreed to work for a guy without even knowing what he does for a living?" Bankotsu chuckled again. "Kagome, you are too much," he said.

"I…was a little strapped for cash," she said in a hollow voice.

"Are you okay?" Bankotsu asked, rising from his chair.

"Y-y-yes! I just was a little shocked. It's just so weird to think that Inuyasha…well, never mind. Anyways, I should probably get going, my work is all finished here!" Kagome's nervous giggles were endless now as she rushed to get out the door.

"Come and see me again, Kagome," Bankotsu called after her a little suggestively as she all but ran out the door into the hallway.

**X**

Kagome just finished hanging up the last of Inuyasha's ironed shirts in his closet when the landline rang shrilly from the living room. She picked it up and said, "Taisho residence, how can I help you?"

"Hi," said a husky, all too familiar voice.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome gasped, not expecting him to call.

"Did I tell you to answer my house phone?" Inuyasha said. She could tell from his tone he was smiling.

"What do you want Inuyasha?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"Did you get all your errands done today?" he said, his voice almost concerned.

"Of course I did," she said, snapping a little. For some reason, he really irked her.

"Good job, Kagome," he said. "Were you able to find the lawyer's office okay? I know it's a little obscure, but I trusted you to be okay."

"Yeah, I found it alright," Kagome said, her voice growing dark. "Speaking of which, why didn't you tell me you worked for _Taisho Industries?_" She found it unbelievable he had failed to mention that little detail. Now she was no longer surprised he had such a nice apartment. Even she had never landed a job quite that impressive! And she had later found out when she called the number provided to cancel the board meeting that he was the head of the board of directors!

Inuyasha chuckled at her. "Does it matter?" he said. Kagome's face flushed. How could he even ask that? If Kagome did get a job at a company such as Taisho Industries even as an assistant, she would be making more than her job at the newspaper.

"Yes it matters, Inuyasha! I mean…well…it's really great. I am really…proud of you for getting a job like that," Kagome's voice grew soft.

There was a pause on the other end. "Thank you," Inuyasha said, "but it was really entirely my step dad's doing. That's why I am going back to school. I need a degree to be able to back up my position on the board, or it would seem like favoritism or something like that."

Kagome listened eagerly. For some reason, she really wanted to know these things. She wanted to know what had been going on in Inuyasha's life for the past five years. She wanted to…maybe somehow be a part of it. She wanted to know maybe she did some good for him.

"Well…congratulations," she said shyly.

"How about we celebrate?" he asked, his tone almost pleading with her.

"How?" she asked, wondering what he could have in mind for something like that.

"Let's have dinner together again," he urged, his voice excited with anticipation. "What are you making me tonight, Miss Kagome?"

Kagome laughed a little at the name. "Well, I wanted to be adventurous, so I made something called," she paused to glance over at the open cookbook on the coffee table to make sure she got the name right, "Beef Bourguignon. It's French, I guess. It's kind of like beef stew…it _smells_ pretty good, so…."

"Sounds great," Inuyasha said. "And I like adventurous," he added, his voice containing a double meaning. Kagome actually smiled a little for once.

"Me too," she said, chuckling. She hung up after she said that, her shyness getting the better of her. _Better to keep 'em hanging on anyways, _she thought. _Not that I want Inuyasha or anything…_

Kagome got off the couch regrettably, for it was a terribly comfortable couch, but the beef stew needed tending. It had been cooking in there for almost an hour, so it was pretty much ready. It just had to boil for thirty more minutes with a few herbs in it and then voila! Kagome glanced at the clock on the microwave. It said four o' clock, so she still had about an hour to kill. She flipped on the TV, absently scrolling through the channels from her spot in the kitchen over the stove. That's one thing she loved about Inuyasha's apartment: it was incredibly open. The kitchen only really had a small wall counter between it and the living room. A reality TV show caught her eye, so Kagome left the stew to simmer and took a seat on the plush couch.

Not meaning to, her eyes began to drift close as the comfortableness of the couch and the warmth of the throw on her lap lulled her into a light nap.

**Hey guys! Sorry that chapter was so short and took SO long to update? I don't really understand, because I worked on this chapter A LOT, but for some reason it still took me several days to update. I'll try to keep it down to two days from now on. However, my other story 'The Sickness' has been discontinued, and not only do I want to continue it but I also want to REPOST it, as in rewrite it. So, I may be working on that on the side which means slower updates, but oh well!**

**Thanks for all the reviews and help and everything! Until next time!**

**paige morgan**


	4. Frustrations

**Hey readers! Sorry I haven't updated for a while, life's been kind of busy. Thanks for all the reviews and please continue to praise/criticize.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any other related titles or logos.**

**Summary:**** Kagome, desperate for a job, answers a mysterious ad on a bulletin board for a cook/maid. Too bad she didn't know her new employer was ex-flame Inuyasha! Kagome is too strapped for money to refuse work, so she is forced back into the life of her old boyfriend. Will old feelings resurface? They'll be hard pressed not too with sexy Inuyasha tempting her constantly! M for Mature, readers!**

**Sleeping With the Boss**

**Chapter 4: Nostalgia**

**X**

Kagome smelled something, which was rather weird considering she was dreaming. She could tell she was dreaming because for one, she could just sense it, for two she was standing in the middle of the grocery store in just her underwear. Kagome sniffed, puzzled. It smelled…kind of burnt. Kind of pungent. So much so that she began to wake from her dream, although sleep fought valiantly to keep her under its spell. Kagome rubbed her eyes as she sat up, the soft throw sliding off her body and pooling at her waist as she did so. She took a deep breath, stretching out her arms, and froze. _Burning, pungent smell? Holy shit, the stew!_

Kagome threw off her blanket and rushed into the kitchen where a nasty odor and light smoke permeated the air. "Shit, shit, shit, shit!" she screamed. Kagome approached the pot and took a cautious look inside. The contents of the soup were burnt and crusty all around the edges and bottom, most of the liquid having evaporated. _That's gonna be one hell of a mess to clean up, _she thought dejectedly._ Shit. What do I do now?_ Kagome was about to turn off the stove and try to at least salvage the pot she'd used to cook in when the smoke alarm starting wailing shrilly throughout the whole apartment. Kagome jumped at the first screech. "Shit!" she shouted, grabbing a hand towel, ready to fan the smoke alarm until it shut up. The smoke alarm was located high up on the wall adjacent to the kitchen. Kagome dragged a kitchen chair over and stood on it, wildly fanning the offensive device.

"Shut up!" she screamed at it, her fanning not making a difference in the obnoxious noises being emitted from the machine. She gave up trying to fan the smoke, realizing that she needed to turn off the pot so it would stop smoking. Stumbling off the chair, Kagome darted into the kitchen and grabbed the pot handles. "Ouch!" she cried. The pot handles were sizzling hot. Kagome growled in a rather un-lady like way, using the hand towel to grasp it this time. She sat the pot in the sink and turned on the water, a cloud of vapor hissing into the air. "Great. This is just great," she said to the apartment. The alarm was still wailing, beginning to give Kagome a mild headache.

Kagome leaned over to turn off the sink, turning her nose away from the mush in the pot.

At that moment, the door opened and in walked Inuyasha, his eyes scanning the apartment in confusion. "Uhhh, Kagome? What happened?" he said, setting down his briefcase and jacket on the sofa and disabling the alarm. He approached her, holding the device in his clawed hand.

Kagome looked at him pitifully and said sadly, "I fell asleep and…well, I burned dinner."

Inuyasha stared at her for a minute before bursting out into chuckles, his whole frame shaking. "Leave it to you," he said between laughter.

Kagome glared at him, crossing her arms. "Well, you said you'd be home in thirty minutes, which is how much longer it needed! Turns out you are here and hour and a half later! Where were you?"

Inuyasha ran a hand through his short, white hair and over his jaw. "Sorry, I got stuck at the office. I tried calling, but you must've been out like a light," he said, shaking his head, a smile still plastered on his face. "You know what this means though, right?" he said to her, quirking his eyebrow.

"No…what?" she said, puzzled.

"It means I get to take you out to dinner now. After all, there's nothing to eat here and I'm _starved_," he emphasized the last word suggestively.

Kagome sighed, ready to protest. However, her stomach _was_ growling painfully, and the dinner she'd cooked _was_ ruined. Making another one would take too long, as well. "Well, okay," she said, "as long as you're buying."

Inuyasha grinned at her. "Of course. Just let me go and change."

Kagome looked down at her own attire. After meeting with Inuyasha's clients, Kagome had changed out of her nice dress and heels into a cooking and cleaning outfit. All she wore now was a dark pair of denim jeans that were too long on her, and a pale pink t-shirt. Hopefully Inuyasha wasn't in the mood for a fancy dinner or anything…Said half demon returned from his room, wearing just a simple pair of dark jeans, like her own, and a white t-shirt. Kagome almost started drooling.

He looked absolutely breath taking this way. His body was so much more lean and defined then when they first met. Back then he'd been muscular, but slight. Now he was more solid looking. He ran a clawed hand through his hair again, a gesture Kagome found to be heart stopping, and picked up a tight fitted black jacket, slipping his arms through it. He spread his arms and said, "How do I look?" Kagome tried to form an answer but no words came out of her mouth and he dropped his arms a little dejectedly. "That bad, huh?" he said jokingly.

"Inuyasha, don't be stupid. You know you are attractive. You must have women all over you all the time," Kagome said, rolling her eyes, as she sat down on the couch and began to pull on her converse sneakers.

A slow smile spread on Inuyasha's face. He slowly approached her, kneeling before her. Leaning in, he was just at about her eye level. Kagome froze as Inuyasha's proximity registered. "Wh-what are you doing?" she said, backing away. Inuyasha wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him, his lips dangerously close to hers.

"So, you think I'm attractive?" he murmured. Kagome's heart raced at the feel of his breath puffing out against her lips. She pulled her hands up and put them gently on his chest, ready to push him away, but the feeling of his warm soft skin through his t-shirt stopped her. He was leaning in now, his eyes half-lidded, his intent clear.

_Kagome? Hello! Push him off you! What are you doing?_ She screamed at herself. But somehow…she felt almost as if she deserved this. As if she waited so long for this and now it was finally happening. Could she really deny herself? His lips barely brushed hers, sending an electrifying shock through her body. "W-wait," she managed to whisper.

He stopped, his lips still tortuously touching hers. "Yes?" he whispered. His voice was agonized from the strain and effort it took not to ravage her at that moment.

She breathed heavily, fighting an internal battle of what she wanted and what was right. "This isn't right…you're my boss and I…" she trailed off, her mind fuzzy with desire.

"Well, then you're next job is to kiss me," he teased, but his eyes weren't smiling. They were burning.

Kagome's mind was spinning, looking for logic and reason and sanity. She needed something solid to hold her down to earth. She didn't want to make any mistakes or throw her heart out into the open again. The whirlwind was spinning out of control, and in an effort to do _something_ to stop the swirling emotions through her she crushed her lips to his. He paused in a moment of surprise, but quickly composed himself, running his claws through her hair, reveling in the feel of her plump, soft lips against his. It felt so good to kiss her again after five years of yearning for it.

As quickly as she'd kissed him, she pulled away. She was panting a little, her soft brown eyes staring into his golden ones which were shining brightly. "Kagome…" he almost groaned.

"I…"she trailed off. She didn't know what to say. She'd just _kissed_ Inuyasha, a man she'd sworn to never think of again. His hands were still in her hair, holding her face in front of his. She tried to pull free from his grasp, but he held on tightly. "Please, don't," she whimpered.

Inuyasha was practically trembling from the desire in him. She tasted so pure and clean and so _Kagome._ She tasted exactly how he remembered, but somehow more refined. He'd longed for her touch and her scent and her presence and every second around her was torture, knowing she didn't belong to him. He needed to be with her. He'd waited so long. However, he knew she was struggling with an attraction to him and a past buried deep within her. He wanted to tell her he was sorry, he'd never meant to hurt her, he'd never do it again, but he was afraid it would sound empty to her.

He slowly let go of her, leaning back on his knees. She looked at him, the confusion and pain apparent in her eyes. He'd _left_ her. He didn't deserve her, and he knew it. Still, he craved her. He wanted to see her smile again and hear her laughter. He wanted to be able to call her his and hold her hand. He wanted to see her naked again, spread out on the bed, ready to give herself to him. But she was bruised from the pain he'd inflicted on her. He'd been so stupid…

"Inuyasha," she said, her voice surprisingly calm. He looked up at her, his ears drooping sadly. "You are my boss, and I am your employee. I am a professional, and I won't risk my reputation by giving into your temptation. Please, refrain from any more suggestive comments and such. This is strictly business. A job. That's it," she finished, her hands clenched at her sides.

Inuyasha sighed, staring at a spot on the carpet. "But you kissed me…?" he said hopefully.

"Because you tempted me!" she burst out, glaring at him.

"Well, you must desire me at least a little bit, or else you would have been repulsed by my advances!" he growled back at her, standing up to tower over her.

"What?" she screamed. "I don't _desire_ you! I just felt sorry for you!"

"Oh, right, Kagome, sure," he said, crossing his arms.

"It's true, Inuyasha! I wouldn't kiss you if you were the last man on earth!" she raged, standing up to stare into his face.

"Well, newsflash Kagome, but you already have! Many times!" he growled, poking a clawed finger at her.

"Yeah, and you know what? You are a _terrible_ kisser!" she huffed.

Inuyasha paused, like he'd been slapped. He stared at her face, flushed with pink, her lips red from their kiss, her hair a little wild around her shoulders. Suddenly he grabbed her, wrapping her legs around his waist. He began carrying her quickly to his bedroom.

"Stop! What are you doing?" she cried, struggling.

"Proving you wrong," he grumbled in his chest. He kicked open the bedroom door and tossed her on the bed, where she tried to scramble away, but he grabbed her around the waist and laid her beneath him, holding both wrists. "You liar," he accused.

He crushed his lips against hers again, eliciting a squeak from her. He pried her lips apart with his tongue, sweeping it in her mouth, drowning in the taste of her. A groan escaped him as he passionately moved his lips against hers, pausing only to gently nip her lower lip. He felt her resistance began to melt away as he ran his tongue over hers, earning an almost inaudible gasp of pleasure. He broke their kiss, needing to slow down so he could really treat her. He very gently brushed his lips over hers, applying the faintest of pressures. He let go of her wrist so he could trail a thumb across her cheek.

He ran his tongue over her bottom lip and her back arched in response. He hid a smirk. He kissed her again, this time with less force but more attention to detail. His lips massaged hers apart, and to his surprise her tongue met his, sliding over it sensually. That nearly drove him over the edge. Her taste and scent was all around him, creating a haze in his mind. A super awareness of his surroundings was surfacing. He could feel the heat coming off her body in waves, smell the scent of her arousal, hear her labored breathing, sense her growing need. But he needed to stop. He didn't want to go too far with her, he just needed to show her that he _was_ a good kisser. However, it was becoming increasingly difficult to stop, especially since Kagome was now responding.

She sucked his bottom lip into her mouth, grazing it with her teeth and he shuddered. He needed to stop _now._

"Kagome…"he said, pulling away. She was spread out on his bed, her jet black hair creating a halo around her face. Her eyes were heavy-lidded and her cheeks were pink. She looked sufficiently ravaged, her breath coming in pants.

"What were you saying about me being a terrible kisser?" he said, a smirk surfacing on his face despite the ache between his legs.

Kagome paused for a while, her cheeks reddening even more from embarrassment. "Let's just go to dinner, already," she grumbled, pushing him off her and standing, a little wobbly.

**X**

The restaurant they ended up at was by no means high end. It was relatively cheap and served very traditional dishes. Inuyasha ended up with a giant bowl of chicken and vegetable ramen, while Kagome preferred the tempura udon. They sat there, slurping in silence, both ends fantasizing about the other. They hadn't spoken about the incident, but it was certainly on their minds.

Kagome was positively furious. She was furious at herself for her total lack of control, and she was furious at Inuyasha for instigating such inappropriate behavior. Who was he to kiss her after all these years of silence and neglect? Did he see her as some sort of plaything that he could cast away when it lost its luster and then pick back up again years later? Well she wasn't having it! She was going to really buckle down to prevent anymore incidents from happening. Even as she resolved this to herself though she took one look at Inuyasha's smoldering gaze and felt her insides melt. It drove her crazy how badly she wanted him after he hurt her so deeply before.

The real issue was that Kagome strived hard to not be promiscuous. She preferred committed relationships, serious relationships. She wasn't sure what Inuyasha had in mind, but she was NOT going to be his every-once-in-a-while sex partner. He was a busy and powerful guy who had lots of things to attend to, the type of person who didn't have the time to dedicate to a woman, which was totally fine! But he didn't need to go around treating Kagome like some cheap whore, so desperate to have sex that she would just throw herself at him. Although currently she felt a bit like one.

Inuyasha was positively burning with need for her. He had waited so long to be with her again it was maddening. Of course she couldn't just jump into his arms and kiss him and say, 'Oh Inuyasha! How I have missed you! Kiss me, you fool!' No, it could never be so easy. He'd worked so hard to become successful and wealthy and even attractive to her that he was a little insulted at her reluctance when she was obviously attracted to him. He could smell her arousal even now. Why was she denying herself? Was it some warped sense of pride? The Kagome he knew was not a proud person. Stubborn, maybe, but she had always been quite humble, even docile. She'd turned into a bit of a firecracker since their last meeting, grown a backbone. And while he loved it, it was causing a rather noticeable and painful problem in his pants.

"Here is the deal, Kagome. I left all those years ago because I had no choice. I know how badly you wanted me to take that scholarship and continue my schooling, and I wanted it just as badly. But I love my mother and I felt like going off to school was abandoning her, like throwing her to the wolves. She needed my protection and she needed me to help pay the bills. I…I am sorry I left you in the manner that I did. I said some things that were unfair and untrue, and I apologize."

Kagome bristled some at Inuyasha's speech. "Well, that's all fine and dandy Inuyasha, but you could have called me or written me a letter, a postcard, sent me an e-mail for god's sake! But you didn't. And that showed me just how much you really cared," she finished by pushing her bowl away and crossing her arms.

He uttered a low and frustrated growl. He opened his mouth to argue, but what could he really say? 'I felt like you deserved better,' or 'I was too ashamed of myself to face you'? The reasons that he didn't contact her were very personal and even a little embarrassing to explain.

"Well, I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do about it now, so how about you forgive me already?" He sighed in an exasperated way.

"I do forgive you, Inuyasha. Enough to work for you, enough to go to dinner with you. Enough to even let you kiss me, once. But like I said, this is a business arrangement. We are not friends, and we are sure as hell not involved with one another. And not just because you're, well…you. But because you are my boss, and I am not going to degrade myself by…giving into temptation."

Inuyasha stared at her for a moment and said, "So you are tempted though, right?"

"Ugh! Is that all you got out of that entire thing?" Kagome glared at Inuyasha, even as a small and joking smile turned the corners of his mouth upwards.

"Of course not, Kagome. I am only playing. If that's how you want our relationship to be, then…I guess I just have to accept that," his voice seemed a little sad at the end.

Kagome was a little surprised at those words, and to her annoyance, a little disappointed. "Right," she mumbled.

**X**

Inuyasha drove her back to his place afterwards so she could pick up her car. The car ride was a little awkward for them both, full of unspoken things that really, really needed airing out. But Kagome wasn't in a sharing mood. She was still thoroughly pissed that somehow Inuyasha had convinced her to kiss him, and to like it as well! Many things Inuyasha may be, but unattractive was not one of them. Still, she couldn't believe herself. Here he was, back in her life for just a few short days and she was already ending up in his bed. Was she that desperate for a man's touch? Where did that strong, independent, career-driven woman she knew so well skip off to? It was degrading enough that a prominent editor of one of the city's most popular newspapers had been reduced to little more than an assistant. But to think that said former editor was dangerously close to sleeping with her boss…well that was just tragic.

Kagome pressed the automatic lock on her key ring and heard the satisfying beep of her car alarm activating. She took the elevator up to her cozy little apartment on the fifth floor and slammed the door shut behind her resolutely. It was time. Time for a hot bubble bath, a pedicure, and the remaining contents of the pint full of mint chocolate chip ice cream calling to her from within her freezer. But first thing first, she had to check her emails. It just wouldn't be a normal day without that ritual, and right now, Kagome wanted normal.

There was an email from Sango. It read:

**Kagome,**

**Now that you have a steady form of income, I think it is time for a trip to the mall! I know you are feeling down lately about being Inuyasha's employee, but it's nothing a new outfit and food-court food can't fix! How about I pick you up on Saturday around noon? I want to get started early so we can still have time to maybe catch a movie afterwards, my treat! I know you were probably busy with work today, but you had better call me soon and tell me all about your 'business relationship' with Inuyasha! I am dying to know. Remember, if he hurts you just let me know and I will whip out those ancient weapons my family keeps in their basement. I am pretty sure I saw a giant boomerang down there, and I wouldn't mind trying it out on his face. Anyways, I had better get back to work. Wouldn't want the new manager to feel uncompromised because he is too in love with me to tell me to stop playing on the computer. Love you!**

**-Sango**

_And that, my friends, is exactly why Sango is my best friend, _Kagome thought even as she shook her head at Sango's lunacy and the amount of exclamation marks she used in her emails. There were a few more spam mails, an email from her mother about her little brother Souta's upcoming birthday, and a forward her grandpa had sent her about some silly fairytale like the ones he always told her growing up. _Why, oh why, did I ever introduce Grandpa to the internet? Not a good combination…_

As Kagome mused over the implications of her geezer of a grandfather having access to the web, Inuyasha paced around his empty apartment in frustration. Usually when something was bothering him he would tidy the place up a bit to relax. Ironically the object of his frustration had spent the better part of the afternoon doing that, so no cleaning for him. There was the burnt and crusted pot still soaking in the sink…but Inuyasha wasn't yet frustrated enough to tackle_ that _bad boy.

Regardless, that had not been exactly how he'd wanted his date with Kagome to go. He hadn't expected her to be so reluctant in forgiving him. Well…he supposed she had forgiven him, for the most part. Enough to work for him, anyways. Enough to go to dinner with him. But she was still reluctant to start a relationship with him again. He understood how she was feeling for the most part. But he always imagined his reunion with Kagome to be a lot sweeter and a lot less of her wanting to pull his now-short hair out. It seemed that the years that spent apart had toughened Kagome. Back when they were in high school she had been such a tender-hearted girl. So sweet and innocent, it took nothing to melt her. Now she was like a viper on steroids…but he kind of liked it.

After all, he needed a sharp woman to keep up with him, and an even sharper assistant. Kagome had her work cut out for her, and that fact was making him reconsider the amount he had decided to pay her monthly. Fifteen hundred dollars surely wasn't enough to live off of per month, was it? Not with the lifestyle Kagome was used to. Inuyasha had expected that she had been paid some kind of severance, but Sesshoumaru's old assistant Jaken had made some calls and found out that Kagome was merely laid off without so much as unemployment to cover her.

That fact bothered him. He knew what it was like to struggle with money, and he hated it that she was going through that. Bottom line was, he knew which side of town she lived on and what type of car she drove and those bills couldn't be cheap. But he couldn't offer to pay her more unless she began working for him through the company. He had yet to discuss that particular subject with his step-brother who was also his supervisor. The dog demon, biological son of Tetsuo Taisho, believed that a well-rounded and middle-aged man made a better assistant than a young woman who he claimed could be "distracting."

He had no idea.

But Kagome was perfect for the job and had amazing credentials. If Sesshoumaru didn't approve, he could always take it to his step-dad for approval. Since said man was banging Inuyasha's mother, there wasn't much he would refuse the half-demon. Is that taking advantage? Well, yes. But…he was banging Inuyasha's mother…so it's only fair.

Inuyasha pulled his sleek laptop over to him and signed on to the company's emailing system. He shot his step-brother a quick email, attempting to fit a meeting about the issue into the older demon's busy work schedule.

Until then, he could just think of ways that Kagome could earn more money from him. The smirk on his face would've frightened the old lady living next door if she could've seen it.

**My, oh my, this chapter is short. Embarrassingly short.** **I wish I had something to say for myself, but I don't, besides…I'm sorry? I just wanted to get an update out there so badly that I cut this chapter short by about three and a half pages. But, hey! At least I updated! I suppose I should apologize for the long wait on the update too…heh, heh. But (as you know already if you read my profile) I have been working avidly on my other story, 'The Sickness', so I haven't had much time for SWTB. But it is just such a good story, I couldn't leave it completely alone! Sooo, instead of waiting and giving you a long chapter full of quality work I gave you this rubbish. Hope you enjoyed! Reviews are always great. I will TRY (key-word here) to update soon. Need something to read while you wait? Check out one of my other stories! Which are both sadly in-progress…well, goodnight folks!**


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